Running from the mountains of Virginia and a compound of shifter men, Sabrina Hart finds herself on a northern Montana mountain where she discovers newly orphaned twins. When the cold of a Montana winter sets in, the three find themselves in dire straits until two unlikely saviors arrive.

When Luke Wallace and Daniel Mahoney arrive at the gate cabin, they volunteer to guard during Yule, they didn’t expect to find their mate huddled in the cold and starving with two small boys. With no way to get the children safely down the mountain, they stay to protect and provide for the unlikely trio.

When trouble arrives and the children are stolen from their adoptive mother’s loving arms, can the men learn patience and Sabrina learn to trust or will their relationship disappear with the ice and snow during the spring thaw before it even begins?

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Seduction in Paradise

Copyright © 2010 Tianna Xander

ISBN: 978-1-55487-566-5

Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

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Seduction in Paradise

By

Tianna Xander

Dedication

To my readers for always asking for more. To my husband for always being there for me, designing my trim cases, Lightscribe CDs and most of all, helping me with everything a girl could ask for. To my children for understanding why I can’t always just stop and watch a movie and to my editors for finding my mistakes and keeping my books on the continuity track. This one is for you all.

Chapter One

Sabrina Hart glared at the two men who attempted to take over her life. If they thought she would have a damned thing to do with them after they got out of this godforsaken cabin, they were as crazy as they were bossy.

“You can’t stay here. The food is almost gone and the well is frozen over.” Luke didn’t mention a thing about the fact that the last of the split wood sat stacked next to the woodstove and most likely wouldn’t last the night.

Glancing over at the two boys she found huddled in a car not twenty feet from the bodies of their mutilated parents. Neither of them had said a word since she found them. Who could blame the poor babies? They had seen both of their parents torn apart by some wild animal — if it really was a wild animal and not a shifter. From what she had seen of shifter males, she wouldn’t put murdering innocent humans past them.

“A rogue shapeshifter would have changed and opened the car door,” Daniel said as he poured himself another cup of the turpentine the two men called coffee then glanced at the two boys. “Their parents were attacked by cougars. Wildcats. Not by shifters.” Sighing, he cupped his hands around his coffee. “We’ll have to report our find to the authorities when we get back to town.” He looked down at his hands, obviously uncomfortable. “They will, no doubt, put the boys into the system, find their next of kin. And if they have none, I’m sure someone will take them in.”

“No!” Sabrina barely stopped from throwing herself on the two little boys in an effort to shelter them. Instead, she glanced over at the two children tucked into the small cot, top to tail, her fingers itching to caress their silky blond hair. “I-I want to keep them.” She didn’t know how she would manage it, but she would. She had to. Those two boys had become her life over the last few months. “If they have no kin, I want them.”

Again, Sabrina glared at the two men, who for the last several months, tried to convince her that she was their long-awaited mate. “If I am what you say I am, you two will find their relatives or you will find a way for me to keep them.” She refused to even think of her two beautiful boys thrown into an imperfect system that would do them more harm than good.

“If we help you, will you give us a chance to prove what you are to us?” Daniel stared at her, practically daring her to say no when he knew she wanted the boys with her more than she had ever wanted anything before.

“I will try.” Sabrina swallowed and looked away. “It’s the best I can do. I can’t promise you more than that.”

“That’s all we can ask, baby,” Luke said as he moved to pour the last of the coffee in his cup. Instead of setting the empty pot back on the stove, he set it on the counter next to the washbasin, then returned to pick up the pot of cocoa and dumped its remains in her mug. “Drink it. The boys are sleeping and it will be frozen or near it by morning.” He waved toward the small stack of wood. “That will be gone in a few hours. We’ll have to hurry down the mountain at first light and hope the trail is finally passable.”

Sabrina shivered at the thought of hiking down the mountain alone with the animals who attacked Timmy and Tommy’s parents still on the prowl.

“You forget, baby,” Luke said as he moved to sit back down. “We can defend you from anything on this mountain.”

Glaring at them both again, Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “I hate it when you stick your nose in my business. I’ll thank you to stop reading my mind.” Lifting her cup, she downed the luke-warm cocoa and stood to rinse it out in the washbasin along with the two dirty pots. When she finished, she turned to the two men who sat watching her like some sort of holiday treat and shook her head. “I’m going to try to get some rest. I would suggest you two do the same.”

Stalking across the room, she put her boots and coat on before lying down on the only other cot in the cabin. It probably wasn’t fair that she had appropriated the only other bed in the place, but she’d had enough of sleeping on floors in the camp where rogue shifters held countless women captive last summer.

Rolling over, she put her back to the two men and faced the wall, hoping they could see her attitude in her actions. She may have to bargain with them to keep the boys, and she would keep them because she already knew they had no living relatives. Something told her she may have to allow the two to mate her if she stayed, and it was a big if, it didn’t mean she had to like it. Though some sixth-sense—most likely the same one that told her Timmy and Tommy were alone in this world—told her she would like it. A lot.

Closing her eyes, she tried to blot out such thoughts with no luck. She tried to sleep, but all she could think of were Luke and Daniel loving her. She shook her head and sighed. Good grief, girl. You are crazy for even thinking you could let them touch you. Nothing made her ill like the thought of a man touching her, yet she couldn’t seem to get the thoughts of them out of her head. She did feel ill, at least that’s what she assumed the strange feeling was in the pit of her stomach. Even so, when Sabrina shuddered at the thought of their hands on her flesh, she was shocked to find that it wasn’t with revulsion. Sabrina Hart, you are one sick, masochistic bitch.

* * * *

Daniel Mahoney stared at Sabrina’s back, the way her perfectly rounded heart-shaped ass filled out her jeans made his cock rock-hard and ready. He took a long swig of his ice-cold coffee as he dreamed of one day sinking his hard length into her waiting channel. It was just too damned bad she had been so sorely abused before they found her here, holed up in this gate cabin, practically freezing and starving to death. If it hadn’t been for their interference, their mate and her adopted boys may have died here on this mountain. Instead, he and Luke had carted wood uphill like a couple of pack mules until they gained her trust.

She may not realize it, but she trusted them at least a little. No woman would ever put her back to two men she didn’t trust not to hurt her. Not willingly anyway. He had known what she was to them the moment he scented her. She stood in the open doorway staring at them, the cold mountain breeze blowing her hair about her head in an ebony halo. She both looked and smelled like an angel. Their angel. After sharing blood with Luke and entering fully into the shifter world, they were mates. It didn’t always happen, but more often than not, shifters who shared a blood tie, shared a mate tie. At least that’s what the elders and the ancient records told them.

For the last fifty or more years, the old council tried to make their people believe that a truebond was an aberration, something to be ashamed of. But not so. The ancient records found by the true heir spoke of the truebond, of two—sometimes even three—men mating one female.

Sighing, he returned his attention back to his mate’s perfect ass and tucked in waist and thanked the Gods that he had found her. It was just too damned bad they hadn’t found her sooner—before the men of the Tudra had so sorely abused her—before they had found her here, holed up in one of the gate cabins with two orphan boys who either couldn’t, or wouldn’t, speak.

Not only had he known what she was to him, but he’d known who she was the moment he laid eyes on her. Her sister, Samantha, mated his friends. Luke and Quinn Sadler went way back. He had heard a lot about Sabrina from her sister as they searched all over the United States for her. Daniel wondered how she had managed to make it to Paradise without realizing she was headed toward the very place she wanted to avoid most.

She is getting used to us, don’t you think? Perhaps she is coming to trust us even though she doesn’t want to. He glanced over at Luke who also sat staring at their mate.

We can hope. I would like to read her more, but every time I try, my damned mouth gives me away. As does yours, Luke added with a wry grin.

Which is precisely why we try to give her privacy, is it not? Damn, he was even beginning to sound like Luke with his old-world speech. Standing, Daniel picked up the last of the wood and shoved it into the stove before the fire went out entirely. They had held onto it as long as possible, trying to eke out as much time with a warm hearth as they could. “This is it,” he whispered, knowing if Sabrina didn’t hear them speak she would think they plotted something. “Now that the last of the wood is in, we may as well get some sleep.”

At least they no longer felt compelled to sleep in six-hour shifts now that Camulus was finally dead. There may still be many of the idiot’s followers out there, but he hoped it would be a long time before they managed to agree on a new leader. Until then, they all reaped the benefits of a short and probably unreliable peace. “The light of day and the cold will come soon enough.”

Morning would come quickly and Daniel knew he would have no choice but to tell Sabrina what he was. He also knew she distrusted men, with good reason, but he had hoped to show her that she could rely on them, trust them as men before they broke the news of their shifter heritage. She knew they said they could protect her from things on this mountain, but she thought it was because they had rifles, not because they were predators themselves. They had a difficult task ahead of them. Sabrina hated shifter men with a passion.

Hell, perhaps this was for the best. How could she trust two men who had lied to her for so long? Maybe, once they finally came clean, they could all put the past behind them and start anew. Somehow he doubted that she would feel that way, but he could hope, couldn’t he? Sighing, he lowered himself to the cold, hard floor and rested his head on his crossed arms. If he was lucky, the Gods and the fates would be on their side.

He and Luke were already up by the time the sun peeked over the horizon. Taking a deep breath, he bent to wiggle the toe of Sabrina’s boots. It was the only way they found to awaken her that didn’t send her into a screaming fit that scared the boys.

Before he touched his mate’s toe, he glanced over at the two cubs, barely four years old, and decided to let them wake her instead. If she intended to be their mother, she would need to get used to them disturbing her sleep.

Moving to the boys’ bed, he gazed down at them for a moment, wondering what it would be like to be their father—one of their fathers—and decided he liked the idea. They were good boys. The two of them were cubs he would be proud to call his own and one day bring them fully over into their world.

Get a move on in there, will you? I’m fucking starving and home isn’t getting any closer, dammit!

Daniel mentally shot Luke the finger, then reached down to wake the boys. The moment they woke, he entered their minds and took charge. He didn’t want to mess with their memories, but was painfully obvious that giving them time wasn’t helping much.

He found the memories of the pair of cougars mutilating, then devouring the boys’ parents and dulled them to the point that it would seem a distant memory—more like a bad dream than the frightening reality they had lived through. Neither of the boys said a word since Sabrina found them. Like it or not, today Sabrina would see some good come of his being a shifter.

* * * *

“Wake up, sleepy head.”

Sabrina cracked a bleary eye open to see who spoke and saw Timmy—or was it Tommy—standing in front of her, a huge grin on his face. She blinked and took a guess. “Timmy?”

“Uh-uh.” He shook his head then turned and pointed at his brother. “That’s Timmy.” Turning back, he held his thumb to his chest. “I’m Tommy.”

“Oh. I’m so glad you’re talking!” Sabrina hugged them close in turn, before smiling at their identical grins. She could see why their mother labeled their clothes. The boys probably loved to play practical jokes on people. Sabrina couldn’t say that she wouldn’t have done the same if she had an identical twin.

“Can we go down the mountain now, please?” he asked, tugging her hand.

His expression was so hopeful, Sabrina almost caved. Then she caught herself and shook her head. “You’re more than welcome to go with them if that’s what you want, but I think I’ll just stay here.” Luke banged into the cabin, wind and debris swirling around him, just in time for her to send both men a glare she hoped told them just what she thought of their underhanded tactic of enlisting children to convince her to go with them.

“The wood and supplies are gone, baby.”

She bristled at the endearment she hated so much. “Will you please quit calling me that?” She threw Daniel another glare just for good measure. She ignored his raised eyebrow and concentrated on the lock of dark hair that fell over his eye instead. “I am no one’s baby.”

He inclined his head. “As you say.” Daniel turned to look at his friend before continuing. “But, as I said, the supplies and the wood are gone. You wouldn’t last more than a day or two up here by yourself. Don’t make us leave you here to freeze to death.”

“A gentleman would make sure I had wood.” Like she knew what a gentleman would do. Hell, she’d never met one. She stuck her chin in the air, determined to beat the two men at their own game. She couldn’t, wouldn’t go with them. How could she? How could she choose to willingly go with two men she barely knew? It was bad enough that she had to share this cabin with them. She’d only done it because of the freak late April blizzard. Now that the trail was clear enough, they could leave her here and go about their business.

It hurt to realize she couldn’t force herself to go with them, even for the boys. What had she thought last night, planning to go down the mountain with the two men and barter her body for a home for them all?

Even now, her skin crawled at the thought of a man getting too close to her, touching her. For a moment, she had thought, perhaps even hoped, she could live a normal life. But she couldn’t. The light of day made it all too clear. A good night’s sleep never failed to clear her head and this morning, her clear head told her that a normal life was nothing more than an impossible dream. Luke stalked toward her, the expression on his face hard. It took every ounce of self-control to keep from flinching away.

He towered over her, a muscle ticking in his jaw, his dark eyes stormy. “No…baby.” He drew the hated endearment out, purposely trying to goad her. “A gentleman would do his best to see to your comfort and your needs, which is what we are doing.” He cocked a sable brow at her, his expression daring. “A lesser man would simply toss you over his shoulder and take you anyway.” He glanced at his friend. “Daniel…now he’s a gentleman. Me?” He shook his head. “Not so much.” He leaned closer.

So close his minty breath brushed her cheek and made her shiver.

“Choose your actions wisely, sweetheart.”

Sabrina swallowed thickly at his threat. She may not know them well, but she’d gotten to know them well enough over the last few months in the close quarters of this cabin to realize that of the two of them, Luke was the most likely to make good on his threat. Her choices were simple, walk down with them willingly, or he would carry her down, thrown over his shoulder like a sack of rotten potatoes. It wasn’t really much of a choice.

“You don’t leave me any other option.” She started to snatch up her meager belongings to cram them into her small backpack. “But remember this,” she said, turning to face them again, her arms behind her, gripping the bag tightly. “Nothing will change the fact that I do not want you, nor will I ever submit to your nauseating, lustful advances.” The last thing she wanted, or needed, was to succumb to their desires, Sex was painful and repulsive. Nothing would ever change her opinion on that. Nothing.

* * * *

Luke Wallace stared at his for a moment. She may think that now, but he was certain that, given time, they could eventually change her mind. She required a slow, gentle seduction and that was what they would give her if it killed them. He made the vow knowing that it just might. Once the el calor took control of their senses, it would take their deaths to keep them from her if she hadn’t already submitted—gods, how he didn’t want it to come to that.

It was imperative to get their mate down off this damned snow-covered mountain before he and Dan lost all control. The mating heat rode them harder and harder every day they spent in her company and nothing but a complete mating or their deaths would stop it. Sooner or later it would drive them mad and when it did, he counted on the others in Paradise to put them down before they hurt their mate.

Turning from Sabrina, he walked outside and stripped down to nothing more than his jeans and boots with the hope that the frigid air would help cool his blood and his ever-present erection would finally go away—at least for the moment. After ten minutes, Luke realized he couldn’t get that lucky. Just the thought of Sabrina, the memory of her sweet scent, even her infrequent smiles and abundant expressions of distaste, turned him on. Jesus, he had it bad.

We’ve both got it bad, Daniel agreed through their mental link. No matter what I do, or how many times I strip myself bare and roll in the snow or plunge into the icy river and dunk myself in its frigid depths, I cannot escape the burning hunger my body has for her. We must get her to town where the others can keep her safe when we eventually lose our minds to the el calor.

Luke knew his best friend was right. If Sabrina didn’t submit to them, sooner or later the mating heat would envelope their senses, masking the differences between right and wrong. When that happened, they would become more animal than man—a rutting, rabid animal wanting nothing more than to mate their female whether she wanted it or not. We must manage to get our mate down off this mountain before then. They have all been through enough. The last thing anyone needed was for them to attack and rape their mate on the trail. The stronger the hold of the el calor grew, the more likely they would lose their minds. And he, for one, would never forgive himself. Luke wanted to love his mate, to hold her and protect her from monsters like he and Daniel would become. He never wanted to hurt her, to cause her to fear them for any reason.

I feel the same way, old friend, Daniel added. You know I feel the same.

What they felt, how they felt now wouldn’t matter when the beasts took over. The el calor was a hard, relentless ache that would eventually drive them mad. Nothing they could do or say would ever change the fact that the mating heat was upon them and eventually it would take over their will to do the right thing.

He stood in front of the cabin, his breath visible in the cold air. He continued to breathe slowly, deliberately, drawing the frigid air into his lungs in an attempt to assuage the hunger he felt for one small, dark-skinned woman.

Nothing in his life could have prepared him for the flood of emotions he felt when he first drew her lovely scent into his body. No one could have warned him how he would feel. Had they tried, he would have deemed them either mad, liar or fool. In all his life, he never expected to feel the way he did for anyone, least of all a woman he’d just met.

Still, over the last few months, they had managed to convince her they were stuck on this high, snow-covered mountain and they’d had a chance to get to know her. Now their time was up. Now they must make their way down to Paradise where the others could keep Sabrina safe from harm should he and Daniel lose control of their beasts.

Chapter Two

Sabrina fumed as she gathered up the boys’ things. She couldn’t help but be grateful to the men for going back to their parent’s car and removing their things. The familiar clothing and toys helped them to adjust to the cabin faster. She knew what it was like to go through a traumatic thing and she also knew having familiar things made it just a little easier.

After running from her sister, Samantha, and her mates, her first stop was Virginia Beach and their apartment. She didn’t stay long. She knew better than that. However, she’d managed to talk their landlady into getting her things. She explained someone abducted them, but not Aiden and his friend. She also told her to expect to hear from her sister, Samantha. Sabrina was sure that her sister had contacted the old woman to get their things by now and she wondered how long it took Samantha to realize their photos were gone.

Sabrina didn’t have the photos with her, she’d gone into a store, scanned them all to disk, then deposited them into a safe deposit box in a bank near Newport, Rhode Island. The last thing she’d wanted was to lose them and not have anything of their parents and grandparents. The photos were the only thing either of them had left of family.

Tears streaked down her face as she thought of her sister. She hadn’t wanted to leave, but she’d known she couldn’t stay. How could she stay with Samantha when she seemed so happy? Somehow, Sabrina knew she would never be truly happy again. Nothing could ever give her such a gift. She looked down at the two boys who sat on their small cot looking up at her with confusion.

“Why don’t you want to go, Brina?”

Smiling at Tommy, Sabrina moved closer and knelt in front of them. Gathering them into her arms was so easy. It felt so right. She wasn’t sure how she would ever let them go, though she knew she eventually must. “It’s not that I don’t want to go with you.” Sighing, she squeezed them tight. “Don’t think I don’t want to go with you. Never think that. It’s just…” She paused, wondering how she could explain her actions to two such small children. What would they understand? “I want to go. It’s just that…I’m afraid I don’t like Luke and Daniel much.”

“We’re sorry to hear that.”

Sabrina cringed. She didn’t even turn around to see if they both stood there. Some strange sixth sense told her they stood in the doorway, their expressions blank. As always.

“She is more afraid of us, than anything else, Tommy.”

She actually felt Daniel step up behind her.

“We know that she has been through a lot, just as you and your brother have been through much. We will give her the time she needs to get to know us better.”

Ha! Like that’s really going to happen. She didn’t know for sure, but she was relatively certain the two men were shifters, like the two men her sister fell in love with. If they were, she didn’t want to have anything to do with them. It was bad enough that they were men.

Stiffening her spine, she stood and turned with an obviously false smile. “Good. I’m glad you two came back in here. The boys need someone to carry their bags down the mountain.” She gestured toward the two medium-sized suitcases that held all of their clothes and a few toys. “They’re all packed and ready to go.”

“Are you ready?” Luke stepped forward, the expression on his face wary as he looked at her. He probably wondered if she was going to make him carry her down the damned mountain.

Well, he can just wonder for a little while longer. She sniffed her distain and moved to where she had set her bag. Picking it up, she gave the two men a glare. “I’m ready if you are.” As she stalked from the cabin and into the bright sunshine, Sabrina fought the urge to cover her eyes. The sunlight, coupled with the white landscape, nearly blinded her. She loved the way the icicles glistened as they hung from the roof of the cabin, melting in the warm rays, but the sparkling reflections were almost enough to cause a migraine.

Sabrina wanted nothing more than to lay back on a sun-soaked rock somewhere and absorb the healing rays of the sun, but she knew it wasn’t possible. The men would never leave her on this mountain until spring and it was just too darned cold to do something like that now.

She headed down the mountain, not waiting for the men. They could just work to catch up. She stomped through the snow, looking for the path that would eventually lead downward. She’d seen it, not two weeks ago. It couldn’t be that hard to find. She continued to move through the small yard and stepped into the brush, the crunch of snow beneath her feet giving her the courage to keep going.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

She heard Luke stomping through the crusty snow behind her and began to move faster. “I’m leading the way down the mountain, if you don’t like it, tough crap.” The closer he got, the faster she moved until she broke out into a full-fledged run. It didn’t take long for him to catch up. His longer legs ate up the distance between them until she could practically feel the jerk breathing down her neck. Sabrina put on one last burst of speed, trying to stay out front. Wasn’t it just like a man to have to be in the lead?

His fingers closed on her arm and pulled her to a stop. Sabrina turned around with a growl. “What’s the matter, you creep? Don’t you like a woman leading the way?” She fisted her free hand and socked him in the stomach. She didn’t think it would do much good. Though she’d given him a good solid punch for a girl, the big gorilla didn’t even grunt. Figures. “You know, I pegged you for a male chauvinist pig a long time ago. I’m just not sure I’m happy to be right.” She tried to jerk her arm from his grip with no luck. “Let me go.” She looked around him, hoping the boys weren’t close enough to see this going down and frowned. “Where are the boys?”

“Probably on their way down the mountain with Daniel,” Luke said, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Where do you think you’re going? I told you what I would do if you resisted. I will not leave you on this mountain to die of exposure or to starve to death.”

Holding her in place, he bent, put his shoulder into her stomach, then straightened. “Put me down, you Neanderthal!” Sabrina kicked, her fists pummeling his back as he turned and headed back in the other direction. “Where do you think you’re taking me?”

He sighed. “I am taking you down the mountain.”

“That’s where I was going. I just wanted to lead the way. Why should I have to follow you two everywhere?”

“You should follow us because we know where we are going and what we are doing. Unlike you, we have been on this mountain hundreds of times. We know when we are headed up, down or toward a blind cliff…unlike you.”

Sabrina stilled, arched her back and looked back the way she had been heading. “I wasn’t going downhill?”

Luke chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Honey, you weren’t even going sideways. You were headed straight up to the blind cliff. Another fifty feet or so and you would have been over the edge before you knew it. The wind blows the snow in drifts that hang out over the edge. You could have been ten feet off the side before you realized you stood upon a thin shelf and plummeted through the snow to your death.”

Sabrina stopped fighting and slumped down. God, she’d almost killed herself…and for what, to prove a point? She stayed still for a moment, watching as Luke’s butt cheeks rose and fell with each step. It was a good thing she vowed to never have anything to do with a man, otherwise, that rear end may have looked enticing. A year ago she would have jumped at the chance to stare at an ass like that. As it was, she turned her head to the side and ignored it for a few minutes before clearing her throat. “Um…do you think you can put me down now?”

“I told you what I would do if you tried to leave.”

“I know, but I wasn’t really trying to leave you guys now, was I?” she reasoned. “I was attempting to lead us all—”

“To our doom.”

Sabrina bit her lip. “I suppose it could seem that way.” Would the man never stop and put her down? “I-I think I’m going to be sick. If you don’t put me down, I’m going to throw up all over you.”

“Uh-uh. You’re just saying that so I’ll put you down and you can make another run for it.”

Sabrina sighed. “It’s your back.” There. That should get him to let her walk down this mountain on her own and if it didn’t, she would aim for him as she vomited, the arrogant jerk.

Luke finally stopped bumping her along on his shoulder and set her on her feet. It didn’t stop him from keeping a tight hold on her wrist though.

How in the world did she always manage to find herself in these situations—those where she had no say in what she did, where she went or whom she spent her time with?

First, their mother dumped them off with their grandmother, never to return, then her sister, Sam, insisted that their future was in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia and dragged her off to parts unknown. Personally, she would have rather moved to the country instead of a metropolis boasting one of the United State’s largest Naval bases along with several other military installations. She knew that much testosterone in one place couldn’t be a good thing.

Sabrina had always wanted to live in a small town. She wanted that for as long as she could remember. The Norfolk, Virginia area with its nearly two-million people, certainly wasn’t on her list of ideal places to live.

About a year and a half after her sister, Samantha, dragged her to Virginia, they were both kidnapped by shapeshifting crazies. It was only after their escape and their subsequent rescue by her sister’s Special Forces boyfriend that Sabrina decided to take charge of her own destiny and do what she wanted to do for a change.

Ha! What a laugh. She’d been her own woman for all of four months when she stumbled upon the twins, then the cabin. The two Neanderthals in her company now, intruded on her peaceful life a month or so after that.

She stared at Luke’s hand on her wrist, wishing she had the power to burn the crap out of him as he dragged her along and they caught up with Daniel and the boys. She suspected the others were walking slowly so as not to lose her and Luke, though why Daniel would bother was beyond her. He had to know Luke was more than capable of dragging her down the mountain, by her hair if need be. He was certainly animal enough to do it.

Sabrina scowled. She was tired and her butt muscles were starting to hurt. She was out of shape and the trek down the mountain sure was taking its toll on her exhausted body. “Hey, Hitler, can we stop for a minute? I’m tired and I need a drink.”

Chapter Three

Daniel looked behind him and bit back a grin. Our mate doesn’t look happy. It was all he could do to keep the smile off his face. She looked fit to be tied as Luke led her through the woods, his fingers wrapped securely around her wrist. There was no way for her to get free, no matter how much she may have wanted to.

Luke gave a mental snort and smiled as she jerked on her arm, testing his grip. Of course she doesn’t. She was happily heading toward her death, glad to be rid of us. I carried her back most of the way until she threatened to puke down my back.

I don’t blame you for putting her down. Daniel chuckled through their mind link, not daring to allow their mate to know they found anything about this situation amusing. Silence was better for their health. He was sure of it. Giving his mate an assessing glance, he stopped and turned to the boys. “We will rest here.” Kneeling down, he looked both of the younglings in the eye. “If you are tired, now is the time to rest, but do so quietly. We don’t want to scare the wildlife. We are the guests in these woods. This is their home.”

The two boys nodded up at him, glanced back at Sabrina as though she hung the moon and danced over to her. He envied them that. He wanted nothing more than to stroll over to her and wait for her to gather him into her arms and hug him to her breast. He wanted to rest his face against her neck and see if her coffee and cream skin was as smooth and silky as it looked, to inhale her heady, unique scent and to remove her clothes slowly, like unwrapping a much anticipated present.

“We thought you weren’t coming.” Tommy hugged her as she knelt to gather them in her arms.

“Tommy said you didn’t love us.” Timmy hung back a bit, his thumb moving toward his mouth in the gesture Daniel recognized as his way of expressing anxiety.

It was a wonder either of the boys were able to communicate at all, given the trauma they had been through, even after healing them. Setting their shattered minds to rights had been the right thing to do. Making their memories of their parent’s deaths fade was the most humane and kind thing he and Luke could have done for the two boys.

“Of course I love you.” She hugged them to her. “How could anyone not love you two?”

Timmy shrugged, then wiped his nose on his sleeve. “I dunno.” He stared down at his feet as he scuffed them in the melting snow. “I was scared.” He rested his head on her shoulder as she continued to hold them.

Looking up, she met Daniel’s gaze. Her expression was unreadable and, though he was tempted, he hesitated to examine her thoughts. The more either of them did things she found abhorrent, the more difficult she would find it to trust them when they finally told her they were shifters—and he was sure she would find their reading her mind repugnant.

Sabrina stood, took each of the boys by the hand, led them to a felled tree and sat down. “Don’t you two ever think that I don’t love you. Even if I can’t be by your side, I will always be thinking of you. Just like your parents. They can’t be here, but they both love you dearly.”

Daniel watched his mate with awe as she continued to hold each of the boys’ hands and tried to comfort them. She was a smart girl to realize their fear of leaving her behind was rooted in their fear of losing someone else they had come to care for. The two boys had lost a lot in their young lives. The last thing they needed was to lose another adult they’d come to trust.

He watched as she released the boys, pulled her pack in front of her and dug into it for a bottle of water. A lock of raven hair fell over her eyes and she pushed it back impatiently. She was obviously beyond caring what she looked like, or perhaps she just didn’t care what they thought of her. He was sure she would be shocked to know exactly what they thought and it had as much to do with possessing and protecting her as it had to do with sex.

Removing the cap, she placed the bottle to her full, luscious lips and took a long drink.

Daniel wanted to protect her yes, but he was also a man and watching her lips caress the plastic bottle and the muscles of her throat working as she swallowed only served to make him want her more, to imagine what it would feel like to press his lips against hers or to feel her mouth wrapped around his cock. Taking a deep breath, he turned around, unable to watch anymore. He didn’t want to scare her and the gods knew if he showed any sexual interest in her, he would frighten her enough to run from them. They needed to get their mate to Paradise where they could protect her—even if it meant protecting her from themselves.

“We can’t stay here all day, boys. If you’ve got to go to the bathroom, now is the time. Just pick a bush and go.”

Sabrina looked up sharply and thinned her lips.

Good. She was angry. At least she had gotten over enough of her fear of them to let her temper loose, even if it was only for a bit. The boys nodded, pulled free of Sabrina’s embrace and hurried off the trail to find a couple of bushes.

* * * *

Sabrina’s heart leapt to her throat. She wanted to run after them, but they had each taken off in a separate direction. What if there were more, bloodthirsty mountain lions laying in wait out there? What if a bear lurked in the bushes, having risen from its hibernation? Visions of the boys she’d come to love in such a short time attacked by a large, angry moose danced through her mind. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm herself. After all, she didn’t even know if there were moose on this mountain.

Biting her lip, she waited, knowing that the men were perfectly capable of keeping the boys safe with the firearms they carried. Still, she worried until both boys came back out onto the path from opposite directions. Timmy, still pulling his pants up, looked up and grinned, his even white teeth gleaming. “I peed standing up!”

“Me, too,” Tommy piped in. His smile was just as big as his brother’s.

Sabrina stifled a laugh, the effort causing her to let out a very unladylike snort. “You did?” she asked, feigning surprise.

“Uh-huh.”

Both boys nodded vigorously, causing their blond curls to bounce. Lord, how she loved those curls. She always wanted to reach out and smooth them down, feeling the soft down of their blond hair sliding through her fingers.

“Us boys can do that.” Timmy shoved his thumb against his chest and thrust his shoulders back. “Girls can’t.”

Sabrina gave each of the men a narrowed-eyed look. “Just who told you two that?” There was plenty of time for the boys to learn of the birds and the bees and this wasn’t one of them.

“Daddy.” The twins answered at the same time, then immediately became quiet, their bottom lips trembling, tears in their eyes.

Immediately sorry she asked, Sabrina swallowed thickly, almost wanting to apologize to the two men for thinking them the culprits and reminding the children of their loss. This was the first day they had come out of their protective shells to talk and she had to go and remind them that their parents were dead. They would be lucky if the boys didn’t return to their silent state. They shuffled closer and she pulled them into her arms once again, Tommy on her left and Timmy on her right.

“Did our mommy and daddy go to heaven?”

It was Tommy who spoke, she could tell them apart easily while they wore their coats. There was a smudge on the collar of his coat. He’d gotten it that first day when he stumbled out of the car, his eyes wide with the horror of witnessing his parent’s death.

Nodding, she cleared her throat in an effort to remove the lump that formed there. “I—I think so.” She pulled a tissue from her coat pocket and wiped first Timmy’s face, then his brother’s. “I do know that wherever they are, they’re both watching over you, proud that you’re such brave boys.” She gave them both a squeeze. “You make them proud every day. Never doubt that.”

Daniel moved closer. She felt him move closer until she could see him clearly.

“I think Sabrina is right about that. I also believe they are as grateful as I am that she found you so quickly and that you all found the cabin where you would remain warm and safe.”

Sabrina heard all the words he didn’t say. Those that said he was thankful she found them before they perished and that they all made it to the cabin before the two man-eating cats found them all and made another meal out of them.

Kneeling down next to her, Daniel reached out and ruffled each of the boys’ hair, cleared his throat, then looked her in the eyes. “I agree with Sabrina. Wherever your parents are, they are very proud to see you here safe with us. They wanted you out of harm’s way more than anything.”

The boys eyes glazed over as they both began to chant. “Stay in the car. Stay in the car.”

Their voices were strange, wooden, unnatural… and it scared her.

* * * *

Luke reached out to the boys mentally and touched their minds, healing them once again. Sweat beaded on his brow as he continued the difficult task of suppressing such vivid memories. He wasn’t sure how, but the scenes of the boys’ parents’ death that Daniel attempted to bury earlier were fresh in their thoughts, as though they had just witnessed the horrible event that stole their parents from them.

The last thing he wanted to do was tell them they had to spend the night on this mountain. It was the one thing he knew was guaranteed to send the boys and Sabrina into a fright. He had no doubt, that given time, the boys would have no difficulty overcoming the circumstances of their parent’s death. The twins were young enough that they may forget the horror in a few years, especially with Daniel and himself to help them forget. Sabrina, on the other hand, may never overcome the trauma of finding these two younglings locked in a car while their parent’s mangled bodies lay not thirty feet from them.

It was she who managed to get the boys to the cabin, she who took care of them those first horrible weeks when the trauma was still so fresh in their minds and it was she who had cared for them at the expense of her own health when she realized they were snowed in.

How many times had she gone hungry to make sure the boys ate? She was thin. Too thin. Starved may be a better word. Like all shifters, he liked a little meat on his woman’s bones and he vowed to see she gained at least a few pounds when they got her to Paradise.

It wouldn’t be long and they would reach the site where he and Daniel planned to set up camp. The clearing was exactly what they needed. A bit of level ground, where the canopy of the trees was high enough to start a fire, providing they could find enough dry wood. Finding enough dry tinder along the mountainside with the melting snow would prove difficult. Of that, he had no doubt.

He continued along the path, alternately carrying and leading Tommy. The boys often tried to switch places and pretend one was the other, but with his shifter’s keen sense of smell, it made it nearly impossible for the boys to pull it off with him and Daniel. Sabrina had her own way of telling them apart. Whatever it was, he had to admire her for her ingenuity.

After walking for nearly seven hours, minus a few breaks for the children to rest and relieve themselves, they finally reached the spot where they planned to set up camp.

“There’s a clearing just though here.” He pointed to his left. “We’ll set up the tent here for the night.” He glanced back at Sabrina. “You and the boys will share the tent and Daniel and I will stay outside and keep an eye out for our bloodthirsty friends.” He made a show of cocking the rifle he carried and knew he would never use. If a cat came prowling around his mate, his leopard would stand for nothing else than defending his female with his claws and teeth. The gun was merely to chase unwanted visitors from the mountain, those of the two-legged variety that is.

Sabrina let out a long sigh. “Thank goodness. I wasn’t sure how much more walking I could do.”

I wasn’t sure either, Daniel said through their mind link. She looked about ready to keel over a minute ago. I hope that flat rock is clean. It will make a nice seat for her while we set up camp.

Luke gave a non-committal grunt. “There’s a large flat rock in the clearing where you can sit while we set up the tent.”

“It sounds like heaven.”

Catching Daniel’s glance, he frowned. Perhaps we should have taken it slower. She isn’t strong enough for such a long hike.

Maybe not, Daniel jerked his head back toward the cabin. We can’t take any chances with her. I scented others before we left. They weren’t shifters, but they weren’t quite human either. The only reason I didn’t say something before now was because I wasn’t sure what it was I smelled. It may have just been my imagination and the el calor. Whatever it was I scented, had been close to the cabin sometime last night. It’s imperative we get our mate and the younglings down the mountain as quickly as possible.

If it weren’t for the fact that they knew their being shifters would scare the living daylights out of their mate, they would have told her and been long gone by now. Daniel could have shifted into his beast and carried them out of the forest, but he couldn’t. Her fear of shifter males overshadowed her fear of men in general and she would run at the first opportunity. Their only hope was to get her to Paradise where she could see how happy her sister was with her mates. Perhaps then they would have a shot at convincing her that not all men were the animals she’d been exposed to last summer.

Chapter Four

Sabrina wandered over to the large rock the men mentioned and sat on the edge. The boys, finally given a bit of leeway, decided it was time to wrestle. She smiled at their antics. It was good to see them playing and having a good time. The time they spent in the cabin was very confining. However, this wasn’t much better. The three of them would have to keep an eye on the boys all the time or they may wander off. They may have huge vocabularies and be very bright for their age, but they were still only three or four years old, judging by their size. The boys hadn’t told her how old they were yet. If they even knew.

“Great, just great,” she mumbled as the men began to set the tent in a corner of the clearing surrounded on three sides by thick, scratchy bramble. “If those two think I’m cuddling up to them for warmth or safety, they can just think again.”

Her stomach churned anxiously at the thought of sleeping in the open with nothing but a tent for shelter. It wouldn’t stop the big cats that killed the boys’. Her only thought was for the boys. Just thinking of the beasts who killed Timmy and Tommy’s parent’s harming her precious boys scared her more than anything else ever had. What would they do? How would they keep the children safe from the mountain lions that craved the taste of human blood?

Fisting her hands against her thighs, Sabrina pasted a smile on her face, then turned to the twins. “Did you hear that, guys?” She fought to keep her voice cheerful. “We get to sleep outside tonight. Won’t it be exciting to stay in a tent and sleep on the ground?”

“I don’t wanna. It’s cold out here. I wanna go back home.” Tommy’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. His bottom lip trembled as he reached out to grab his brother’s hand.

“Me either.” Timmy’s tone wasn’t whiney and frightened like his brother’s. He was downright belligerent. “I don’t wanna sleep outside and you can’t make me.”

Sabrina looked to the two men who had grown uncharacteristically quiet and raised a brow. “What do you two propose to do about that?” If they thought she was being the bad guy here, they were sadly mistaken. Her relationship with the two small boys was still too new and fragile to force her will on them. Let Luke be the jerk who angered the twins. He was good at it. For now, Sabrina planned to seem just as much a victim to the men’s will as the boys. So what if it’s underhanded? I plan to remain in the kids’ good graces.

“We must stop here for the night.” Luke knelt down to look each of them in the eye. “If it were just Daniel and myself, we could have made it to town without stopping, but it would have taken more than just a day.” He glanced at Sabrina, his gaze unreadable, his expression hard as granite. He wouldn’t give in on this. “However, we have a lady with us and she needs her rest. As do you two boys. Aren’t you tired?”

How dare he make it seem like stopping here was all her fault, making her look like the bad guy after all? Sabrina stood and fisted her hands on her hips. “Don’t you dare blame this on me, you lousy, no good, lying sack of monkey dung!”

* * * *

Daniel bit back a grin as he watched his mate go from zero to bitch in less than three seconds. She was beyond lovely with her eyes flashing those amber sparks that were so much like her sister’s. Her face, flushed with anger, her head bobbing back and forth as she raged, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. The woman looked and smelled so damned good as she stood there, hands on her hips, reading Luke the riot act.

“Just what the he…” she glanced down at the boys before amending her sentence with a little stomp of her foot. “What in the world was that supposed to mean? Uh-huh. It’s just like a man to blame his own mistakes and inadequacies on a woman.” She directed that at the boys before turning her full-on glare to him. “Wipe that stinking smirk off your face, white boy, or I’ll do it for you, you low down slimy skunk.” She paused for a minute as she studied his face. “What’s so darned funny?”

“There’s nothing funny, darlin’.” Luke grinned at her and straightened to his full height. He bounced a bit.

The action told Daniel his knees were bothering him again. The last thing Luke needed to do was irritate them. They were in bad enough shape as it was, thanks to their para-military maneuvers with the alpha and his men over the last year or so.

Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest and shot him another glare. “Don’t you give me that load of bull chips.”

“I’m not lying to you, sweetheart.” Luke kept using terms of endearment he knew she hated. Why not? After all, she was too preoccupied to care at the moment and it gave him the opportunity to use them so she would get used to it. “I was merely thinking that you are very beautiful when you’re angry. I love the way you move and talk when you get all righteous.”

Her eyes widened and she gave him a deer-in-the-headlights look.

He’d stunned her speechless. Good.

“Can we get a move on?” Daniel interrupted. “Standing here flapping our lips isn’t going to get this tent up or get us to town. After we’re done setting this up, we can go over to the stream and wash up. Maybe we can tickle some trout for dinner.”

Luke half-bowed and waved his arm. “After you, my love.”

“Will you stop that?” she hissed the words out from between clenched teeth. Turning, she shook her head as she moved to precede him toward the circle of stones set by some unknown camper who was there before them. “Men!” Sabrina said it as though it were a dirty word. “Can’t live with them, can’t ship them off to Mars.”

“Mars, why Mars?”

Turning, Sabrina gave him a look that told him she thought he was a complete waste of skin, then rolled her eyes. “It is the popular consensus that Mars is where all you idiots with the Y chromosomes are from.” She gave him a smile that nearly brought him to his knees. “I was merely expressing a desire to send you home.”

Daniel threw his head back and laughed. Things were truly looking up if she could joke with them like that. It meant she was finally getting used to them. For the first time since they found her half-starving in that cabin, attempting to nurse the boys back to health, Daniel felt there may be a chance for them after all.

* * * *

Sabrina turned away, unsure of whether she should smile or scowl. Righteous, huh? She’d give them righteous. Still, his words left a warm tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach and it felt…good. For the first time in a long time, she felt good.

Just six months ago, she’d been ready to die, had wanted to die. Nothing and no one could have convinced her that she was worth anything. She felt as though she had no direction to her life and no reason to live. Why bother when life was filled with such pain?

What was it about the two men that made her want to try for a relationship, a new life? And what was up with men these days that they wanted to share women? Whatever happened to a good, old-fashioned one-on-one affair? Sabrina took a deep breath and glanced their way. Something, some inexplicable part of her wanted to try, but she was understandably scared. She’d heard that sex was different when it wasn’t forced, but how would she know? She knew only roughness and violence, but that didn’t stop the dreamer in her from wishing things could have been different.

She followed three of the four males to the stream. Luke stayed behind to pitch the tent, telling the rest of them to go wash in the stream. No matter how hard she tried to keep from doing so, her gaze kept finding its way to Daniel and the way his derriere filled out the jeans he wore.

Sabrina thought she’d be immune to such things. Six month ago, she had been immune. There was just something about the two men that made her want the fairytale. Even though she was pretty sure their version of the story would be X-rated.

After all she’d been through, Sabrina never expected to be attracted to any man. It was a shock to realize she was attracted to the two with which she’d spent the last few months sharing a cabin, especially as dominant as they were. Luke was positively beastly at times. Still, she knew it was because he wanted to protect her that his chauvinistic side came out on occasion.

When the boys ran off into the woods to relieve themselves again, Sabrina’s heart leapt to her throat. What if they got lost? She’d just left the trail to follow them when Daniel grabbed her by the arm.

“Leave them be. Luke is watching them. He followed us after he finished with the tent.”

Sabrina glowered at him and gave her arm a jerk. “Let me go.”

“Why must you fight us at every turn?” Daniel glared down at her for a moment, then shook his head and looked away. “We had hoped you would have come to trust us by now.” He released her and shoved his fingers though his hair. “Or that you would have at least figured out that we don’t intend to harm you or the boys. In fact, we would both willingly die for you.”

Sabrina turned away and stared through the barren trees, looking for…something, anything, to keep her from having to meet his gaze. They had no idea how far she had come in such a short time since she and her sister, Samantha, escaped from the camp where shapeshifting animals held them prisoner along with countless other women last summer. Samantha wanted to continue her life with her newfound mates. Sabrina wanted retribution, then death.

She had even attempted to find her way back to that damned compound, intending to take a few of the men with her when she ended her life with a bomb she’d learned to make with everyday household items—thank you internet—but it wasn’t to be. Instead, she found herself heading north along the Appalachian Trail looking for…something.

When she didn’t find it there, she kept heading north, then finally west until she’d found herself on the other side of this mountain, rescuing the twins from certain death.

At the time, Sabrina wanted nothing more than to end her life and her misery. She had wanted death. In fact, she worked toward it, even prayed for it, until those two little boys looked up at her as though she were some sort of superhero when she’d found them five months ago. Now, Sabrina found herself looking forward to each new day with excitement instead of trepidation, with happiness instead of dread.

Sighing, she resigned herself to the fact that they would have to spend the night in the open with nothing but a flimsy tent for protection. She only hoped the two men could protect the boys from the bloodthirsty cats that killed their parents. She had no doubt that the two cats scented them and wanted to finish them. They must love the taste of human blood. What else would have them attacking two healthy humans when there was plenty of game around? She felt deep down that the big cats were more than they seemed and for some reason, they wanted the too small boys dead.

Taking a deep breath, Sabrina decided she would give the two men determined to care for her a chance. A small chance. If they blew it, at least she would know whether or not she could count on them. Either way, she would know where she stood.

She wasn’t stupid, nor was she born yesterday. Though they hadn’t told her, she knew Luke and Daniel were shifters. She knew it. She felt it. What made her trust so elusive was that very fact and the fact that they purposefully hid it from her.

Deep down, she knew it was unfair to judge them for the actions of others, for something none of them could change. However, they could have told her what they were from the get-go.

They knew who she was. She could tell by the knowing looks that passed between them. Perhaps going with them to Paradise wouldn’t be all bad. She could see her sister again and she would determine whether or not Samantha was a partner to her mates or a prisoner. If her sister was a prisoner, then they would escape as they escaped the compound last summer. At least she would know where she stood.

Having spent the last several months with the twins had given her a reason and a will to live, and though she may find it difficult to overcome her fears. With some surprise, Sabrina realized she wanted a home and family of her own. Eight months ago she never would have thought it possible to overcome her fears. For the first time in a long time, she believed she just may have a shot at a normal life.

* * * *

It took less than thirty minutes to wash and return to camp. Luke caught three rather large fish with his bare hands. He neglected to tell Sabrina that he could call them to their doom. It seemed a rather unfair practice, but the children were hungry. What else was he to do? Since he and Daniel could regulate their body temperature, they gave Sabrina and the boys the sleeping bags and the tent. He only hoped the warming spells they cast over the tent would keep it at a comfortable level until daylight.

There was no doubt in his mind that Sabrina would balk at their joining them in the small tent to share their body heat. As it was, the three would have little enough room. He sat staring into the fire they’d managed to get going. The wood was dry, having been stored in a small cave nearby. He had no idea who put it there, but was thankful for it, just the same. He’d have to remember to replace it, in case someone else should have need of it in future.

The flames danced as his gaze shifted and he saw shapes in the coals. Suddenly, his vision grew cloudy as though someone drew a gray veil over his face. At least two men lurked in the forest nearby. No…they weren’t human, though they weren’t shifters either. He couldn’t smell them, he felt them. His instincts blared that something or someone lurked in the woods and they meant no good.

Chapter Five

Luke tossed a small rock at Daniel to wake him up. Help me wrap the tent in protection spells. Someone lurks in the darkness.

Daniel shifted his position to face the tent better. I know. I’ve been trying to follow their movements for the last hour. Whoever they are, they’re patient. He surreptitiously gave Luke the finger. Stop assuming I can sense nothing just because I was once human. Believe it or not, I still have a few surprises up my sleeve.

I don’t give a flying fuck if you were once a dog, as long as you learned how to cast protections spells. Whoever is out there, is committing. They’re moving in. Luke cut off communication with Daniel. As the strangers moved in, he sat tense and hurriedly cast the strongest spells he knew to protect their mate and the twins he hoped to call his own one day.

At first, the intruders appeared as little more than shadows and fog sliding slowly through the dark woods. It wasn’t until the unknown enemy was upon them that he realized he had no control over his motor functions. He couldn’t move and couldn’t shift. Hell, he couldn’t even lift his upper lip in a snarl. He and Daniel, two of Paradise’s strongest guardians, lay helpless as a group of caped men slid into their camp and entered the tent where their helpless mate and children slept.

The intruders moved silently, almost as though they glided over the ground instead of walked upon it. Their movements were fluid as they seemed to ooze into the small canvas structure. Three, four, then five forcing their way into the tiny tent. How did they do it when he and Daniel would have been hard pressed to fit themselves inside with Sabrina and the twins?

He felt more than heard Sabrina’s terrified scream when the men woke her. His leopard raged that he couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything to protect her as the men terrorized her and pulled the children from the warmth of Sabrina’s arms.

Luke couldn’t help the sigh of relief when he found the men only wanted the boys and left Sabrina sobbing in the tent when they oozed back out of the tent and oiled their way across the clearing. Three of them got within striking distance, but he could still do nothing. Paralyzed from the neck down, he could do little more than stare daggers at the men who had just ripped his mate’s heart out by taking the children She’d grown to love so much.

He put every effort into showing the men they would pay retribution for their actions this night, but none of them paid him any heed. A few of them even had the audacity to smirk at him. They knew he had no idea who or even what they were, so they had no worries. Luke vowed to make them worry. One day, he would find a way to fight them and he would take the boys from them.

One of them made a mistake. He’d failed to cover his scent at the scene where the twin’s parent’s met their skewed fate. Somehow, Luke knew the stranger had directed the actions of the cougars that attacked the two humans, though how and why was still an unknown factor.

The two of them could do nothing for long moments after the group left. The minutes ticked by, each second feeling like an hour until the control of their limbs returned. Even then, they couldn’t stand, could hardly move as the lethargy wore off slowly. He had no doubt the men would be long gone by the time either of them regained enough control for pursuit.

* * * *

Sabrina fought against her invisible bonds for what felt like hours, perhaps even days after the intruders departed with the twins. What was going on? Who were the monsters she’d seen this night? Why did they steal her babies and where in the world were the two men who claimed to love her and vowed to protect her and the children at all costs? She knew better than to trust any man.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she thought about anyone with such power manhandling the twins, especially men. What did they want with the two small boys? What could they want? She berated herself for not stopping them and cursed herself for her relief that they’d left her alone. She was ashamed that the thought even crossed her mind. She loved the boys and knew, deep in her heart, that she would sacrifice herself for them. Still, she couldn’t accept the flaw within her that allowed her to feel relieved that the men hadn’t come for her. All this time she thought it was the wildlife on this mountain that she needed to fear. Instead, it was men. It was always men.

Thinking back, Sabrina tried to remember something, anything, that could tell her who and what the intruders were. Her stomach clenched with fear as she lay helpless in the tent while five men entered the tent. Impossibly, they all seemed to fit into the small confines.

They stared down at her with red-rimmed and soulless eyes, each of them battering her mental defenses until she lay exhausted, her Psi abilities gone. How had they done that? How had they managed to get inside her head like that and tire her out the way they did? She’d been able to move when the first man entered the tent. In fact, she’d managed to pull the twins to her, trying to protect them, to no avail.

Somehow, the five men together managed to get past the mental barriers her grandmother had taught her and Samantha to erect. Were men like those the reason why her grandmother taught them such things? Were these men, or those like them, the reason why her mother dumped them off with their grandmother, making the old woman promise to live as a human as long as they stayed with her?

Sabrina wanted to scream, to reach up and rip at the men’s faces with her fingernails as they reached down and lifted the sleeping children from their warm beds. Instead, she lay there as helpless as a child herself, while they took the babies from her loving arms.

It felt like lead weights held her down. Her muscles ached from fighting whatever hold they had on her. She fought until she couldn’t struggle anymore, then she wept. She cried for the loss of her sense of safety, of the children’s loss of security that she’d so painstakingly attempted to provide. Her stomach roiled as she realized, with men like that in the world, no one would ever be safe again.

* * * *

Daniel struggled to sit upright with a grimace. It seemed the harder he fought, the more difficult it was to move, but he couldn’t just lay there and wait for his limbs to cooperate on their own. He needed some kind of action and he needed it yesterday. Reaching out with his mind, he connected with his boss, Darren Colby, Paradise’s head of security. He almost tried for the sheriff, Merrick Hunter, but decided against it. His connection to Colby was stronger and the need for help as soon as possible made contacting Darren the more prudent choice.

Colby? He waited in silence for an answer that never came. Damn. They must have cut off their telepathy as well. He frowned and looked over at Luke. No. That wasn’t right. He’d talked to Luke just fine as the men slunk into the camp. Dammit, Colby, answer me. Luke and I are on the mountain and in trouble.

We’re already on our way. Luke contacted us first thing when your will was stolen.

I’m not entirely sure that’s the correct assumption. I still have will enough to kick ass. I just can’t move well enough to do it right now.

Darren chuckled through the link. I’m just repeating what I’ve been told it’s called. Apparently, Samantha found something in one of her grandmother’s old books. They somehow steal your ability to move. There’s a counter spell for it, but apparently a difficult one. It’s especially difficult for unmated females. So far, Samantha has covered all of Paradise, but she has been unable to cast a spell strong enough to cover the entire mountain. She needs her mated sister’s help for that.

We have her sister here, but she is still unmated. We found her in a line cabin four months ago. She is our mate.

There was a long pause as Darren digested this news. Four months? How have you two managed to stave off the el calor for so long?

Daniel shrugged, his eyes widening with surprise when he realized his muscles actually cooperated. I have no idea. Luke is rather old, so that I am young should have little to do with it. Perhaps it is because we have kept our physical contact with her to a minim…she fears the touch of a male.

And rightly so, Darren agreed, then paused. Perhaps that is it. We have noticed that physical contact seems to speed up the process, it would only follow that lack of contact should give the mates more time.

Daniel watched as Luke managed to roll himself over with effort when a low moan coming from the tent turned into an ear-piercing scream. Sabrina had obviously regained the use of her voice. It would only be a matter of time before she also recovered the use of her limbs as well. He or Luke must manage to be on their feet to stop her from pursuing this new enemy, of which they knew so little. Our mate seems to be recovering far faster than we are. I fear she will take off after the enemy without us

Do not fear for her, brother. We are close enough to subdue her, if the need arises. Even better is the fact that her sister follows at a slower, yet safer, pace. Perhaps she can talk Sabrina out of the foolhardy notion of following these people.

Daniel closed his eyes and sighed with relief. Perhaps, if they were lucky, Samantha would be able to calm her sister and talk some sense into her before she ran off half-cocked. He held little hope for that though, considering how she’d gotten to this mountain in the first place. If Samantha couldn’t talk some sense into her, Daniel knew both he and Luke would accompany their mate on her quest, no matter the cost to their souls. Darren Colby and Merrick Hunter arrived just as Sabrina stumbled from the tent.

“Whoa there, little lady,” Darren said as he stopped her from falling flat on her face. “You should sit down for a spell and let that nastiness wear off.”

Chapter Six

Sabrina slapped at the man’s large hands that held her upright. “Leave me alone!” She couldn’t keep the panic from her voice and it shamed her. She should be stronger. She needed to be stronger. She had to find the boys. The men who took them couldn’t be relatives. If they were, they had no reason to steal them in the middle of the night as they forced her and the two men with her to watch helpless.

“We’re not here to harm you, ma’am. We’re here to help. We’re friends of your sister’s.”

Deciding to listen to the man for a minute, Sabrina stopped her struggles and glared up at him. “How do you know my sister?” He smiled at her, his large grin reminding her of a caricature of the Big Bad Wolf.

“My friends are her mates as you will soon see. She is on her way to explain things as we speak. She moves a bit slower than we do, so we decided that we should get here first and introduce ourselves.”

When Sabrina made to move past him, he refused to let her go. Turning a full-on glare at the man, she snapped, “Let me go, dammit. I have to follow the men who took my babies.”

The man, who still hadn’t introduced himself—which was rude, to say the least—raised a brow. “You have children? You don’t look like a new mother to me and as of eight months ago, your sister said you had no children.”

Taking a deep breath, she looked up into the man’s eyes. They were dark, cold, just like those of the men who held her and Samantha prisoner. She couldn’t help the trembling in her legs, which only seemed to make his grip on her upper arm tighter.

How did he know who she was? Sabrina didn’t think she’d ever seen him before. She couldn’t ignore the facts he knew. He either knew of her from the men at the compound or he knew Samantha, either that or he could read her mind which, she’d come to learn, wasn’t as much as an impossibility as she’d previously thought. Whichever it was, it didn’t matter now. All that mattered was finding the twins and getting them to safety. “If you must know, they aren’t really mine. I found them.”

The man just stared at her for a moment, his face filled with disbelief. “Did you just say you found them?”

“You can’t just keep children you find, Sabrina.” The other man, who was a bit taller than the first, but with hair just as dark, stepped forward, his expression grim.

This was getting just plain stupid. Who in the hell did these people think they were, waltzing in here, telling her what to do? And how in the hell did they know who she was? Crossing her arms under her breasts, Sabrina shot the man a glare. “And I should give a flying fig what you say…why?” She stopped and pressed her lips together before she said something that would most likely get her slapped. After all, she didn’t know these men from Adam and, by the looks of it, her self-proclaimed mates weren’t in any condition to come to her aid, even if they wanted to do so.

Hands fisted on his lean hips, the taller man shook his head and glanced over at Luke and Daniel. “Boy you guys are going to have your hands full with this one.”

Sabrina wasn’t sure, but she thought she caught a glimpse of a smile flicker on his face before he turned back to her, but it didn’t soften the blow of his insult. She thinned her lips and prepared to give him a piece of her mind.

“You should care about what I have to say because I am Merrick Hunter, Sheriff of Paradise.” He waved his hand toward the other man. “And this is Darren Colby, chief of security for Adam Greer, our Alpha.” He stopped and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I hope, for your sake, the children were truly lost when you found them, lady, otherwise I’ll—”

“You’ll do nothing,” Luke growled as he stumbled forward. He was doubled over, holding his stomach with one hand while holding the sheriff’s belt with the other. It was probably the only thing keeping the idiot on his feet.

A cool breeze made her shiver and she thought of the boys out there without their coats, cold and alone, but for the ruthless men who kidnapped them. “The boys weren’t lost.” She moved around the man who claimed to be sheriff of Paradise to Luke and helped him stand upright. “Their parents are dead, killed by mountain lions.”

“It’s true,” Daniel added as he stumbled up behind her. “Don’t look at her like she’s lost her mind, Hunter. We saw the remains of the boys’ family.” He pulled himself up, using the lower branches of a nearby tree, then leaned against it, out of breath.

“I don’t know how, but I think those men had something to do with it. The cats didn’t eat much and they didn’t even try to drag the bodies off. They merely did enough damage to kill, then left the scene.” Luke breathed heavily as he moved closer to Daniel and tried to straighten himself against the tree next to the other man.

“Why would anyone with that kind of power want to kidnap two children?”

“They are twins named Timmy and Tommy. I have no idea what their last names are. Nothing in the car identified any of them with the exception of the boys’ clothes, which were only labeled with their first names.” Sabrina blushed as she gave away her secret. “Their names are written on the tags.”

“Let me get this straight.” Merrick began to pace, his mind obviously working to figure out the puzzle. “You found two boys, twins, not long after two crazed cougars mutilated their parents and today several men sneak into your camp and take the boys from under your noses?”

“You make it sound like we’re slackers or something.” Daniel growled as he managed to straighten to his full height. “It’s not like we were sleeping on watch, you fucking pricks. We both felt them coming. We stayed on the ground, lying in wait for them, even planned to take them by surprise when they entered the camp under the cover of darkness. We were ready to take them on when they waltzed into the clearing, but we couldn’t. Somehow, they took control of us and held us immobilized without laying a damned finger on us.” He shoved his fingers through his hair and sighed. “How can you fight something you can’t see, can’t smell and can’t feel?” Turning, he jammed his fist into the tree behind him.

Sheriff Hunter waved a hand as he kept pacing. “I didn’t mean to insult anyone. I merely stated a fact, or what I perceived as the facts.”

Sabrina stepped away from Luke when she was sure he could finally stand on his own. It shocked her to realize his touch didn’t make her feel dirty, but there wasn’t time to think about all that now. They needed to keep things in perspective. They had to start tracking the boys before the trail turned cold.

“We have to go.” She gestured in the direction of the cabin, unsure if that was the way the strangers went. It only made sense, the others came from the direction of town and the forest seemed too dense in the other directions. “We have to find the boys.” Sabrina turned just in time to see her sister run into the clearing.

“Sabrina!” Samantha cried as she ran to her, her arms outstretched.

Sabrina barely had time to brace herself before her sister slammed into her with a bear hug. “I’ve missed you so much,” they both said at the same time.

Samantha ran her hands over her as though checking for injuries. “Where have you been? You do know that running off the way you did was a stupid, stupid thing, don’t you? You’re still so skinny. Why haven’t you been eating?”

She fired the questions off in rapid succession, leaving Sabrina to wonder if she really expected an answer or if her questions were rhetorical. Sabrina looked down at herself. To be fair, Samantha did have a point, but she had spent the last few months in the cabin with so little food to go around that she didn’t feel right eating much. She did little more than cook the food and take care of the children. Besides, someone had to make sure the children had enough to eat. “For your information, food has been rather scarce, we’ve been holed up in a tiny cabin through the last three back-to-back blizzards.” She looked over her shoulder and gave Daniel and Luke a dirty look. “If these two hadn’t been so intent on trying to hide the fact that they’re shifters, perhaps they could have gone hunting and found us something other than trout to eat.” She wrinkled her nose. “You know how much I hate fish.”

One of Samantha’s mates, Aiden Troutman, also known to his friends as Fish, held his hand to his chest, his expression filled with feigned upset. “What a horrible thing to say after I saved your life and all.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes. It was just like him to joke around when everyone else was serious. He knew she never really liked him all that much. Even she wasn’t sure why. Grasping Samantha by the shoulder, she stared deep into her eyes. “Tell me you’re happy, Sam.”

Her sister smiled fondly at her mates before answering. “I am happy, little sister. And you could be, too.” She bit her lip and cast her gaze to her feet.

It was never a good thing when her sister couldn’t look into her eyes. “What?” Sabrina asked, wary. She knew that look. Her sister only got that expression when she knew what she had to say was not going to make Sabrina happy.

“For the last several months, the people of Paradise have felt a…presence—a strange presence. Something I remember Grandmama telling us about. When Aiden and Quinn took me to get our things from the apartment complex, I stopped by the safety deposit box and emptied it. I have all of Gram’s things in Paradise. Her journals read more like a book of shadows. We always knew she could do things that weren’t…normal, but we never knew anything about the stuff I found in those books.”

Sabrina couldn’t help the feeling of trepidation that settled deep in her middle. “What are you saying?” She swallowed, then looked at the men talking on the other side of the clearing and lowered her voice. “More importantly, what aren’t you saying?”

Samantha began to pace. It was a sure sign of her upset. “We aren’t what we’ve been brought up to believe we are.” She paused and waved her hand. “I’m saying it badly. What I mean to say is, we are who and what we have always been.” She gave Sabrina a lopsided smile. “Apparently, we just happen to be something else as well.”

Holding her hands out to her sides, Sabrina asked, “And that is…what?” She stood silent, waiting for Samantha’s reply as her sister took her time and continued to pace.

“Our mother wasn’t human as we thought. Remember how we always thought mom and Grandmama were normal?” She shrugged. “Well, we always knew they were a bit strange, but you have to admit, we never thought of them as anything but totally human, even if they were a bit odd.”

“Will you just get to the point?” Sometimes Sabrina hated that about her sister. Whenever Samantha got nervous or excited, she couldn’t seem to get to the point.

Samantha took a deep breath and sighed. “Grandmama was some sort of shifter or something. She never said what kind in her journals. At least she hasn’t yet.” She paused with a frown. “And her journals don’t have spells either. It just held instructions on what to think, how to think and things to meditate on.”

Stumbling backward, Sabrina fell hard on her rear. Even the pain shooting up her spine couldn’t detract from the impact of her sister’s statement. She shook her head at the thought that their grandmother was a shifter. “She never shifted. Not once.” She couldn’t believe it of her grandmother. She wouldn’t. The old woman had been eccentric, but she couldn’t have been anything but human.

“I never said that I knew for a fact that grandmamma was a shapeshifter, Rina,” Samantha said with a sigh. “It’s just the only thing that makes sense.”

If anyone knew the reasoning behind her fear and hatred of shifters, it was her sister. So, call her a bigot. She didn’t care. Sabrina wanted nothing to do with anyone who could shift their shape. She glanced at her only living relative and made an exception…and maybe, just maybe, she could deal with those two overbearing jerks with whom she’d just spent the last few months stuck in a cabin, but she drew the line there.

“Mom made her promise that she would give us a normal life. That’s why she never told us about any of this. I’m thinking she broke her promise to Mom just teaching us what she did. She also promised Mom that she wouldn’t tell us what we really were and where we came from.” She moved over to Aiden and took his hand in hers for a moment before she dropped it and started pacing again. “I don’t even know why Mom didn’t want us to know. Deciphering Gram’s chicken scratch had been slow going, especially after I found her notes on how to keep the others from finding us, though those instructions may not do us any good now. It seems they have already found you and though we don’t know what they are, they certainly know what you are. The only thing we can do now is damage control and that means shoring up our defenses at home. At least with Grandmama’s books, we aren’t totally defenseless.”

Samantha stopped pacing and sat down in the wet grass beside her. “As near as I can figure out, like the Leoparo people, they have their good factions and their bad. We just need to discover which side we’re dealing with here. From what I understand, the good have been hiding from the bad for several generations. There are only a few purebloods left.” She paused and looked down at her trembling fingers.

Sabrina knew without being told that she and her sister were pureblood…whatevers. She held up her hand to stop her sister from going on. “Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear you say it. Better yet, don’t even think it.”

“Refusing to talk about it isn’t going to change the fact that whatever we are, we may be the last purebloods of our race.”

* * * *

All six of the men listened to the two women talk. Fish and Quinn filled Luke and Daniel in on current events in Paradise before the women got to the subject of their questionable heritage.

Luke watched the sisters together. There was no mistaking the love each of them had for the other and there was also no mistaking that they were anything but sisters. They both had the same dark caramel complexions and the same amber-flecked dark chocolate eyes. Two more beautiful women didn’t exist.

“What do we do now?” Sabrina asked her sister as she leaned over to rest her head on Samantha’s shoulder. “I can’t just give up on the boys.” Reaching up, she swiped the tears from her cheeks. “They need me. I’m all they have now.” She glanced toward him and her lips twitched into an almost smile when their gazes met. “They need me. I’m… The three of us are all they have now.”

Samantha wrapped her arm around her sister and pressed her hand to Sabrina’s hair. “You don’t know that, Rina. You said yourself there was no identification in the car. They could have relatives all over the place,” Samantha said it gently, but there was no gentle way to break to Sabrina that the boys may belong to another. “They could even have family near here.”

Sabrina shook her head and slapped the center of her chest with the palm of her hand. “I know here that they have no one.” Her voice broke on a sob. “Just me. Who else will take care of them? Who else will make sure they bathe and brush their teeth? Who else will hold them in the middle of the night when the night terrors come and they remember watching their parents die? Who—” She choked on another sob, drew her knees to her chest and buried her head against her knees. “Who else will care enough to brush their white-blond hair until it glows and is as soft as silk?”

Luke watched as Samantha did what he longed to do and gathered Sabrina into her arms. He didn’t expect the soft chuckle as she kissed the top of her sister’s head.

“What is it with us and falling in love with blond kids?”

“You have a thing for blond kids?” Luke took the opportunity to force his way into their conversation by kneeling down and handing Sabrina a tissue. It may be a small comfort, but at least it was one he could provide without risking his mate’s panic.

After wiping her eyes and blowing her nose, Sabrina gave him a wobbly smile. “Yeah.”

When neither of them volunteered any information, he cocked his head to the side and raised his right brow. “You told me you’d never been attracted to Caucasians before.”

“I never said that!” Sabrina forgot about her broken heart for a moment as her expression filled with righteous anger. “What I said, you ass, is that I’d never been attracted to white boys before. Not once did I mention the word Caucasian. You can just take you and your political correctness and shove it where the sun don’t shine. And I’d better not hear you refer to me as an African American either. I’m an American…period. I don’t know shit about no Africa.”

By the time she finished her little speech, she’d sat up and started poking her finger into his chest. No doubt to make sure he got her point. Literally.

Luke almost gathered her into his arms right then and there. If she could get that indignant and talk to him the way she did, it could only mean that she was finally overcoming her fear of him. It was almost enough to make him shout with joy. He held his arms up, palms out. “Okay, okay. I will never refer to you as anything but a very beautiful and charming woman.”

“Oh, he’s a charmer, isn’t he?” Samantha chuckled. “What I meant was that when we were younger, we used to babysit for a woman named Shandee. She had long, strawberry blonde hair and her daughter had platinum blonde hair.” She smiled fondly in remembrance. “We took Maddie to the mall one day and were actually detained. We had to call Shandee to verify that we were babysitting for her. After that, we always carried a photo with a copy of Shandee’s driver’s license and a letter stating that we were Maddie’s Godmothers.” She laughed and shook her head.

“That was both funny and insulting. The south wasn’t always a great place to grow up, I suppose.” Samantha chuckled again. “You should have seen the looks we got when we carried that blonde baby girl into the stores. There we were with a baby so white she practically glowed in the dark.”

“I miss them,” Samantha said, sobering. “I wish we hadn’t just left. I wonder what they’re doing.”

Sabrina snorted. “I know there’s one thing Shandee isn’t doing and that bailing out nuts like you who call her from a hospital three hours from home crying about needing a ride because they practically totaled their car.”

“That wasn’t my fault. You and Gram were out herb hunting. Who else could I have called?”

Sabrina pulled a face. “Who else would have cared enough about either of us to drive that far for a friend?” She paused. “You should find her and give her a call.”

“You’re right.” Samantha stood and held out her hand. “And we should all get back to Paradise.”

Sabrina accepted the help up, then shook her head. “I have to find those boys.”

“No, Rina. You have to come to Paradise and help me look through Gram’s journals to find a way to fight these guys. Let’s say you do get the boys back. What’s to stop them from just taking them again?” She frowned. “How did you find those boys anyway?”

After Luke related the story, which had been too painful for Sabrina to recount, Samantha sighed. “I almost hoped you were going to tell me one of the men murdered them. I had a theory, but an accidental death just doesn’t jive with it.”

Daniel stepped forward. “Those boys’ parents may have been attacked by wild cougars, but it was no accident.”

Luke interrupted him to add. “He’s right. Cougars don’t kill just to kill and it wasn’t a shifter.” He paused, thinking. “There was a taint in the area. A feeling something like what we felt today just before those men entered the camp, only it wasn’t as strong. I’d bet good money that, somehow, those men controlled those cats that day. The only thing I can’t figure out is why they didn’t take the boys then.”

“Because I came along.”

Merrick stepped forward. “Yes you did, but why not take control of you the way they did this morning?” He glanced at Samantha. “Something tells me you’re right, but we’re missing something.”

Sabrina stood and brushed the dirt off her perfect ass. “The only way we’re going to figure it out is to confront them.”

Samantha grabbed her sister’s arm before she moved out of her reach. “And to do that, we need to be able to defend ourselves against them. We need Grandmama’s books.”

Sabrina looked so heartbroken at the prospect of not going after the boys that Luke wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her worries away. Instead, he held out his arm. “Shall we?”

Sabrina pressed her lips together and sighed. “Do I really have a choice?”

Chapter Seven

Sabrina choked on her coffee and it went everywhere. It was a good thing her sister wasn’t sitting directly in front of her otherwise, Samantha may have worn it. “Excuse me,” she stopped to clear her throat and mop up the mess on the table between them with a napkin. “What did you just say?” She couldn’t believe her ears and she didn’t want to believe her sister as Sam repeated the words written in one of their grandmother’s journals that left her both hot and cold. Good God! Could she really do it?

Samantha pointed at the page she just read. “It says right here. And I quote. There is but one way to defend against many of our kind. At least two mated Rougewa’ pairs or triads are needed to perform the ritual of Pontouq.” Samantha read off a few expected instructions, mainly those associated with casting a circle.

It was what came last that made Sabrina shiver with dread.

“The only act that gives us enough power to protect large areas is sex. The ritual must come complete with both couples or triads participating in the act within a circle cast for ritual purposes.”

“Uh-uh. No way.” Sabrina shook her head. “There is no way I’m doing that. I don’t care. Nothing you could do or say could make me consider doing…” she waved her hand in the air, her cheeks burning. “That with you there.”

Samantha shook her head with a smile. “You never did pay attention to our lessons did you? We can both be in our own homes in our own circles as long as we do this at the same time.”

It didn’t help much, but it was better than having sex with her sister in the same room. That was just downright creepy. “Talk about TMI,” Sabrina said, disgusted. “Like I want to know when you and the bod squad you call mates are getting it on.”

“It’s the only way to protect our community and the boys once we get them back. The journal says, once we’re both properly mated, we will come into our true power. It also states that if we are properly mated, our children will be pureblood as our mates will take on our characteristics. Which,” she paused with a smile. “Would explain a few things. Apparently, what we are now is only a shadow of what we could be. Just think, Rina.” Samantha leaned across the table to take her hand. “What would it be like to have powers so strong that we never have to worry about being victims ever again?”

“That’s all fine and good for us and it sounds wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but if the men take on our characteristics, what are they going to say about not being able to shift anymore?”

Samantha bit her lip. “I don’t know. Heck, Rina, we don’t even know if it will take away their ability to shift.” She sighed and stared down into her coffee. “To tell you the truth, I kind of like it. You have no idea what it’s like to be able to shift into another shape, to run with the wolves or soar with the eagles.” She looked almost sad. “I’m not even sure I want to give it up, but how else do we protect ourselves and those we love from whomever took your boys?”

She had a point. Sabrina hated it when Samantha came up with some logical…thing that made her think about doing something she didn’t want to do. Still, they had to protect the boys and if her sister said it meant having to protect the whole town while they were at it, then she was probably right, but it didn’t mean Sabrina had to like it.

Thinking back on what her sister said, Sabrina took a slow sip of her coffee, took a deep breath, then released it. “We’re only shadows, huh?” The only problem that she could see was the fact that she wasn’t sure if she could go through with the ritual. The circle and the spell wouldn’t be an issue. It was the sex that scared the crap out of her. Thinking she was ready to take the next step into a physical relationship was one thing, but actually carrying through with it was another matter altogether. “What else does that damned book say?”

Samantha cleared her throat. “Apparently…” She tapped the page with a perfectly manicured mauve-tipped finger. “I’m not truly mated either.” She frowned. “I thought I was. I know my powers increased once I completed my bond with Aiden and Quinn, so you can see my confusion.” She glanced down at the book in front of her. “According to Gram, we aren’t mated and will not reach our potential unless we complete the mating ritual which, thank God, we don’t have to do at the same time. At least with that, you and your mates can try and be spontaneous.”

“Holy moly, Sam!” Sabrina felt her eyes go wide. “I can see your power sparking in your aura now…and you say you’ll get stronger?”

The idea of that would scare her if Samantha wasn’t her sister. Having grown up with her and spent so much time with her, Sabrina knew there wasn’t an evil bone in her sister’s body.

“That’s what the journal says.” Samantha shrugged. “So far, everything else has proven true.”

Sabrina stared at her sister, her chin in her hand while the fingers of the other nervously drummed the surface of the table. She had to think. This was too much for her to take in and agree to in just a few minutes. She needed to be alone for a while, to think.

Samantha pushed her chair back and stood. “I’ll leave you to think about things. I know it’s a lot to ask of you. Believe me. I don’t think I would have been able to overcome what happened so fast if I hadn’t already been in love with Aiden and knew he would never hurt me.” She smiled, a faraway look on her face. “He would cut off important body parts before he hurt me, or you for that matter, and I know it’s true because our minds are linked now.” She paused, then glanced over her shoulder at the doorway for a moment before turning back to meet Sabrina’s gaze. “I’ll leave you to think about it. You have a lot of questions to answer for yourself before you make your decision. Just remember that no one in Paradise will ever force you to do something you don’t want to do. The men here are the way men are supposed to be—in a perfect world anyway.” With that, Samantha turned and walked out onto the porch where her mates awaited her.

Sabrina almost laughed at her sister’s words. Almost. This wasn’t a perfect world and, filled with imperfect beings, it would never be so. She had learned long ago that everyone must find their own way, eke out their idea of a perfect existence. No one was without flaws and anyone who expected otherwise was a damned fool. The only way perfect even fit into her vocabulary was that she wanted to be the perfect version of herself. Sure, her head looked too big for her body and maybe she had knobby knees, but she was the perfect Sabrina Hart that the Great Mother designed her to be, nothing more and nothing less. She took a deep breath and stared at the empty doorway. “Now what are you going to do?”

Standing, she walked to the sink to rinse out her cup. She could see the men through the window. They stood out near the road, talking to the others who readied the house for her. Samantha and her mates joined them. She watched as Aiden and Quinn, two other men she’d tried to hate and failed, wrapped their arms around her sister. The way Samantha smiled up at them, Sabrina knew she was truly happy.

A lump formed in her throat as she saw what her sister had. She wanted that for herself, she really did, she just didn’t know if it was possible. For some reason, her time at the camp had changed her far more than it had changed her sister.

She looked at the two men she shared the cabin with for the last several months and sighed. She wanted a new life and, since she was wishing, she wanted them in it. She just wasn’t sure she could be what they needed.

Frowning, Sabrina stared down at the still running water and shook her head. After turning the water off, Sabrina asked herself if she could do what was needed of her to save the boys. The attraction was there, heaven knew that. She just wasn’t certain she could sleep with them. No matter how much her body may want to, her mind just wasn’t ready to forget.

What was wrong with her? She should hate men—all men. She had every right to despise the very ground they walked upon. But she couldn’t. Damn it all! Why couldn’t she bring herself to hate every male in the damned world? If she could, this decision would be an easy one. She would calmly walk through that door and out of this town, leaving the boys to their fate. But no, she’d gone and fallen in love with them. When had that happened?

As she watched the group through the window, Sabrina brushed the tears from her cheeks. Daniel looked then and their gazes met. Understanding and compassion filled his expression. What else did she expect? He’d always been the understanding one.

Luke didn’t look her way. It was almost as though he avoided even looking toward the house. When he turned enough for her to see his face, his expression was one of resignation and sorrow.

Knowing the choice she had to make, both knew what her answer could be—what it should be after all she’d been through. If only she hadn’t gone and fallen in love with them as well.

“Damn it all to hell.”

Chapter Eight

“She would rather die than mate with us.” Daniel stared up at Sabrina, his heart heavy. She stood at the kitchen window, looking out at them, her face filled with obvious dread. He almost winced when she reached up to swipe the tears from her eyes. He knew the odds of her choosing to mate with them weren’t good. He wasn’t sure she would choose to do it—even to save the boys.

“We’re going to go and give Adam a report. You two try and keep control of yourselves. Losing it isn’t going to help anyone. Get away from here if you have to,” Quinn Sadler said as he and Aiden led Samantha toward their car. “Go take a swim. Maybe the cold water will help.”

It wouldn’t help. Daniel knew it. How many times had he taken a dip in the icy waters of the river when they went out for trout? No, cold water wouldn’t do anything for him. They stayed in that cabin with her for the last several months. Taking cold baths every chance they could, hoping it would help with the heat and with their desire to bed their woman.

For months they managed to keep their hands to themselves. They had hoped to set her mind at ease. The two of them had even held out hope that, given enough time, she could get used to their presence. And she had. Plus, if he were truthful, he would admit that they had hoped their time spent together, sitting through one freak blizzard after another, would be enough time for her to get over her fears and possibly fall in love with them.

He sighed. Hell, after all that time, she didn’t even like them if the thought of mating with them brought her to tears. He couldn’t blame her though. Many of the women they rescued from the compound in the Virginia mountains had taken their own lives. He and Luke were lucky bastards that Sabrina hadn’t chosen to do so before they found her. She was a fighter, like her sister. He would thank the gods for that every day for the rest of his life.

Daniel watched as she stepped away from the window. He hated it when she was out of his sight. He had nightmarish visions that someone would come and steal her away from them.

“We should go to her.” Luke wore a pained expression. The heat obviously rode him hard again. So far they had been lucky enough to keep it at bay by not making physical contact. Though for some reason, bringing Sabrina to town had ratcheted it up a few notches.

The last few days had been complete and utter hell. She was ovulating again. From what he could tell, the cycle, from beginning to end, lasted a full seven days. It got harder to ignore every month. This month was the worst.

“She needs to come to us.” Daniel disagreed, knowing it was the el calor making Luke’s decisions now. Soon the other man would have no choice but to end his life. He feared it was in the cards for both of them. “You know we can’t stay here. She’s ovulating. It’s day one and it will drive us mad. Let the others stay with her. They will protect her, even from us.” He tried to steer his friend away from the home the others prepared for her. They didn’t dare take her to their apartment.

Luke snarled and pulled away. His eyes glowed with a feral light. His leopard was close to the surface, trying to force a change. “Leave me be. I will guard my mate.” His teeth grew, filling his mouth until his jaws expanded. He inhaled deeply. “I can smell her from here. She is so sweet. So ripe.” He licked his lips.

Holy shit, but his friend was right. Luke may be half out of his mind, but he sure knew what the hell he was talking about. Daniel took a deep breath. Sabrina’s essence filled his nose, his lungs and made him ache. It was all he could do to keep himself from running to her.

All of them felt the heat when they found their mates. It was only a matter of time until Sabrina couldn’t handle it anymore. He knew why she doubled over in pain so often. She thought it was indigestion. Soon though, she would see it for what it truly was. Unfortunately, it would be too late for himself and Luke.

Reaching out, he grabbed onto Luke’s arm when he would have gone to the house. “I won’t let you take her against her will.” He waved his arm, indicating the others who stood guard outside the two-story home before he turned to face his best friend. It nearly broke his heart when he realized he may have to kill him if he couldn’t find a way to bring him to his senses. “They won’t let you take her. They will kill you first.” He shook his head and sighed. “I will kill you first.”

Luke stood staring at the house for several moments, his breath coming in short pants. He didn’t back down and he didn’t attempt to move toward the house. After a few minutes, sanity returned to his expression and he turned away. “Thank the Gods for that.” He shook his head hard, as though to clear it, then fell to his knees, his hands covering his face. “It’s the heat.” He glanced up at Daniel. “It’s almost like I’m possessed. This…monster inside me tries to take over. It drives me to mount her. To mate her. To make her mine before another male steals her from me. It’s gotten worse, much worse since we came to town.” He looked toward the house. “All these unmated males are driving me mad.”

Was that it? Could it be that simple? They had kept the heat at bay by not making physical contact, but it got worse when they came to town. Was it because of all the others? Reaching down, Daniel hauled Luke to his feet. “We need to go see the doc.”

“What the hell for? He can’t help with this and he knows it. Even the few scientists we have haven’t figured out what to do.”

“Perhaps he can’t help, but we have new information and I have an idea.”

* * * *

“You may have something there,” old Doc Parker said as he moved around his son to open the glass door of a cabinet. He pulled out a small glass jar and a syringe.

“What’s that for?” Luke’s eyes narrowed and he stiffened, ready for flight. They weren’t sticking him with needles. He didn’t know what shit was in that bottle and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“It’s for you. A tranquilizer.” The doctor smiled, his expression and tone one of benign interest. “I wonder if this will help you.” He shrugged. “But we won’t know unless we try it.” He grabbed an alcohol swab, ripped it open and swiped it over his upper arm.

“Hey!” Luke jumped back. “I’m not you’re fucking guinea pig!”

“Then go out there and get yourself killed when you attempt to rape your mate, you arrogant ass. This—” He held up the syringe— “just may be the answer to everyone’s problems. If a low dose stops the synapses in your brain responsible for aggression from firing, it will give everyone suffering from the effects of the el calor a little more time.”

“How much time?” He couldn’t even believe he was considering this.

Doctor Parker shrugged and held up the syringe. “I have no idea. Want to find out?”

Luke thinned his lips and smiled. “Hell yes.” He motioned to Daniel. “If this works, shoot him up, too, doc. He’s a fucking mess.”

It didn’t take long for the drug to take effect. It seemed as though he felt better almost as soon as the doctor depressed the plunger on the syringe. The old man’s son, who was also the new town doctor, stood by with Daniel in case he got out of hand, but they needn’t have stayed.

A strange languor stole over him at first. He didn’t feel drugged. In fact, after a minute or two, he barely felt anything at all aside from the burning of the mating heat that steadily receded as he sat on the examination table.

“How do you feel, son?” The doctor pulled a penlight from his pocket and checked his eyes.

“I feel great.” Luke took a deep breath. “Whoo!” He jumped off the table, bounced a bit to test his legs, then wiggled his fingers.” I feel like a million bucks, doc.” He grinned. “I haven’t felt his great since…” Luke stopped as the thought dawned. “Since the day I met Sabrina.”

It was true. The day he met his mate was the most exhilarating of his life. There was nothing like meeting the one woman who could make you whole. Nothing like knowing the woman you had waited a lifetime or more for stood before you like a ripe plum just waiting for you to reach out and pluck the succulent fruit from amidst the leaves.

That day had been perfect, full of promise. Just knowing she existed was enough.. It was too bad that it hadn’t taken long for the el calor to turn it into something almost sinister.

“Damn it, tell me what’s wrong!” The muffled sound of Sabrina’s voice carried through the thick wooden door. “What happened? Why are they here?” She burst into the room with the doctor’s wife hot on her heels.

“I tried to stop her, dear.” Mrs. Parker twisted her hands together as she looked between them. She knew why he was there. Hell, she could probably smell it. The older woman looked harried, almost like she’d taken on a badger and lost. Her usually neat hair was a mess. It hung limply about her face as she panted, red-cheeked in the doorway.

“What’s wrong?” Sabrina rushed to Luke. “I saw you fall to your knees.” She flicked a glance toward Daniel. “Then I saw Daniel haul you up and drag you here. Are you sick?”

Luke watched Sabrina, bemused, as she ran her hands up and down his arms and legs, checking for injuries. He thanked the Gods that Doc Parker’s tranquilizer worked. Otherwise, the other three men in this room would have put him down.

He took a deep breath, loving Sabrina’s scent as she continued to inspect him from head to toe. He loved the way she looked, the way she moved, walked, talked, and smiled. Most of all, he loved the way she smelled. Hell, he grinned. He loved everything about the woman standing in front of him.

Sabrina put her hands on her hips and scowled. “Don’t just sit there like a boil on a cow’s butt, damn it all. Tell me what’s wrong.” She stamped her foot for emphasis.

“Nothing’s wrong now, darlin’,” he said with a wink. “As a matter of fact, everything is very right now that you’re here.” He turned to the doctor and raised a brow. “Like I said before, doc…” He glanced at Daniel who stood with his fists clenched at his sides. Sweat poured down the other man’s face as he stood still as death, his eyes squeezed tight.

The only sound Daniel made was the shallow pants of his breath as he tried to breathe his way through the pain of the heat.

“Holy sh…” Sabrina glanced at the doctor’s wife and bit her lip.

Her face darkened in a blush he found utterly charming.

“…Cow. What’s the matter with him now?”

* * * *

Sabrina stared at Daniel, speechless. What in the world was going on with those two? Did they have rabies or something? She paused. Could they get rabies? They were part animal after all…weren’t they? He looked as though he was in pain, but he had no obvious injury. What else was she supposed to think?

Come to think of it, she glanced at Luke. She’d seen Luke with a similar expression several times over the last few months. What was it, male PMS or something?

“You haven’t told her?” The old woman stepped further into the room, her hands on her hips as she glared at the two men in turn. “I don’t believe this.” She threw her hands in the air. “Men!” she glared at her husband as though he were somehow at fault, twitched her skirt, then turned to Sabrina. “Come with me, dear.” Reaching out, she took Sabrina by the arm. “We’ll go into the kitchen and I’ll explain everything to you over a nice, hot cup of tea.”

“Explain what?” Sabrina glanced back at Daniel as the old woman tugged her from the room.

He stepped forward and held his arm out to the doctor.

What was wrong with them and why did they need shots? Sabrina wanted to stay and get her answers from the men, but the old woman was stronger than she looked. The doctor’s wife dragged her into the kitchen and pushed her into a chair.

The kitchen was bright and airy, just like Sabrina knew it would be. The other woman didn’t seem like the type to have a home that didn’t make a person feel welcome. The pale yellow walls made the room seem bigger and full of sunlight even though it was overcast.

A large oak table and chairs sat proudly in the center of the room. The small chandelier above it, sparkled merrily. Against the wall was a large, old-fashioned pie rack that Sabrina could swear looked hand carved. A large, brown and white hound lay on its back on the rug in front of the door, its large ears out to the sides, its legs spread out. She couldn’t help but smile. It was the coziest, most comfortable room she’d been in since her grandmother’s kitchen.

“You just sit there for a minute while I pour us a cup of tea.” She waggled her finger when Sabrina glanced toward the door. “Don’t you go running back to your men. I’ll give you the answers you need.” She turned and bustled over to the stove and the already steaming pot.

“Those men.” The woman shook her head and made a clucking sound. Taking a tray from a narrow cabinet, she loaded it with two cups of steaming tea, spoons, some milk and sugar and carried it to the table. “You would think they would have more brains than to keep a woman in the dark the way they do. They think we’re so weak and frail.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper as she unloaded the tray. “When they’re the ones who are such babies.” Pushing the tray aside, she sat across from Sabrina and smiled. “I’m so glad they found you. Your sister was worried sick.”

“I don’t—”

The older woman held up her hand. “Just listen to me going on when I promised you answers.” The old woman reached across the table and patted Sabrina’s hand. “What those two have been trying so hard to keep from you is that you’re all suffering from the el calor.”

“The what?” What in the world was this crazy old woman going on about? What in the world was an all collar?

The doctor’s wife chuckled. “I’ll bet you’re wondering what this crazy old bat is talking about, aren’t you?”

Sabrina felt her jaw go slack. What the hell? Could the woman read minds?

“First things first.” She held out her hand. “I’m Nettie Parker and I guess you’ve already guessed that I’m the old doctor’s wife.”

Unsure if she should say anything, Sabrina merely nodded. The last thing she wanted was to hurt the old woman’s feelings.

Nettie continued, perfectly comfortable with talking to a complete stranger. Sabrina didn’t think she would ever be that at ease with anyone ever again—even with her own sister.

Still, she’d made her decision and she wanted to tell Luke and Daniel before she thought up a reason to chicken out. She kept telling herself that Samantha was happy—deliriously happy—and she wouldn’t be so if her mates hurt her in any way. Knowing that as fact was the only thing that kept her in this town. “What’s an all collar?”

“What the men are going through is not called all collar.” She stopped to chuckle a bit. “It’s called the el calor. It’s also known as the mating heat.” Nettie’s expression softened and she reached out to take Sabrina’s hand.

Sabrina pulled her hand away before the old woman made contact. “I’m sorry, but…” She bit her lip and looked away. Why was she explaining herself? She didn’t owe these people anything.

“There’s no need to explain yourself, dear. We went through something similar to your experience in Virginia right here in Paradise.” The doctor’s wife frowned “It was an awful time. Good women shouldn’t have to fear leaving the safety of their homes.”

“What happened? How did it change?” Sabrina was curious now. How did one overthrow an entire town’s government?

Nettie sat back, her eyes wide. “Don’t you know? Adam and his men, your man, Luke, included, waged a terrible battle. Many died on each side. Both good men and bad are buried side by side in the town’s cemetery.” She smiled sadly. “One of my sons and my only daughter are there as well.”

She didn’t know why, but she felt the strangest urge to comfort the old woman. “They’re in a better place, where horrible things don’t happen.”

Again, the doctor’s wife smiled sadly. “Yes. I suppose they are.” The older woman seemed to shake off her melancholy as though it never existed. “Enough feeling sorry for myself, it’s time you learned exactly what’s happening to you and your mates.”

Sabrina felt her eyes go wide as she brought her hand to her chest. “There’s nothing wrong with me.” Well, nothing physical anyway. She could have sworn her heart dropped to her stomach when Nettie shook her head.

“Yes there is, dear. And you all are running out of time.”

Chapter Nine

Daniel wasn’t sure what to think when Sabrina summoned both himself and Luke. Not once had she ever called to either of them for anything—even when she needed aid.

He stood on the porch of the house the alpha, Adam Greer, lent her with his stomach churning. They both stood silent and stared at the thick oak door. What could she want? Why did they even risk coming here so late at night when they knew the consequences of their actions may lead to their deaths?

Because she called out to them, that was why…because she held them in her thrall. Just a smile, a wiggle of her supple fingers, would bring them both running to her side.

“And I, for one, wouldn’t have it any other way,” Luke said as he reached up to knock on the door.

“Keep your nosy ass out of my mind.” Daniel looked at Luke and growled just before the door swung open. He knew Luke wouldn’t listen to him, but continued through their mind link anyway. When I want you rattling around in my thoughts, I’ll be sure to let you know. In the mean time, stay the fuck out.

Rattling around is the correct phrase if I ever heard one. Luke chuckled into his mind. There’s not much in there but dust.

Daniel almost slugged him, but he closed his eyes and inhaled instead. Gods, it felt incredible to stand here next to Sabrina without the heat tearing at his insides, demanding he claim his mate. “Did you need something?” At first he thought she wouldn’t answer his question.

For a minute, she just stood and looked at them, then turned to walk into the great room. “Close the door behind you. We need to talk.”

“That’s ominous,” Luke whispered as he closed the door. “What do you suppose is on her mind?”

Daniel shrugged. “Whatever it is, we couldn’t be lucky enough for it to be sex.” He hoped he kept his voice low enough that she didn’t hear that. He shoved his hands in his pockets and started after her. “Hell if I know what it is, but I can’t wait to find out.” He entered the dimly lit room. Daniel’s gaze immediately tracked to Sabrina on the sofa, her hands folded demurely in her lap. He half-smiled at her stiff back and the way she kept her knees pressed together.

Taking a deep breath, she waved them both to two chairs arranged on the other side of the large, rough-hewn coffee table. “Sit down first. You two make me nervous towering over me like that.”

Biting back a laugh, Daniel couldn’t help but think that they made her nervous no matter what. The two of them sat just the same. Whatever made her feel more at ease. It was the way they lived for the last several months. They did everything with her feelings, her comfort in mind.

It’s a bit dark in here, don’t you think? Leave it to Luke to point out the obvious.

Of course it’s dark in here. She has candles lit. It’s most likely because the lights hurt her eyes after spending several months in that cabin without electricity. He looked around the room at the strategically placed candles. If he didn’t know better, he would suspect that their timid little mate planned a seduction.

After they sat in the seats Sabrina provided, she looked at them both and cleared her throat. “Did Samantha tell you what we must do to protect those living here in Paradise?” At their nod, she licked her lips and continued. “Nettie…” She blushed and looked away. “The old doctor’s wife told me what’s been wrong with you two the last few weeks.” Reaching up, Sabrina pushed her hair back out of her eyes. Her hand trembled as she lowered it to her lap. “I—” She looked at them both, cleared her throat and tried again. “I—I…”

Go to her. Luke urged him with a nod. She’s always thought you were the most approachable. I think… He paused. I hope she is about to consent. This is our opportunity to convince her to accept us as her mates.

Daniel sat forward in his seat. “What’s the matter, love?” he crooned softly as he moved from the chair to the sofa. He sat close, without touching her, and hoped she wouldn’t bolt if he touched her. “You know you can tell us anything.”

Sabrina scrubbed her face with her hands. “It’s not that simple.” She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “God, I wish it was.” Jumping up, she bolted from the room and through an open doorway. “I need a drink.”

We should stay here, Daniel told Luke when he would have followed her. Give her a minute. We don’t want to force ourselves on her in any way. That was the whole reason we agreed to get those damned shots every six hours.

Every six hours…it promised to play out like a nightmare. Hell, it was almost as bad as when the government incarcerated him and his group in an effort to discover what made them so different. It was a damned good thing they couldn’t find anything.

Daniel shook off the bad memories. This wasn’t the time, nor the place, to think about those things best left buried. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “We must find a way to give her the time she needs, regardless of what her sister said.”

Luke nodded his agreement. “If we were to expect her to just lie down and spread her legs for us, for the boys or the people of Paradise, we would be no better than those who forced themselves on her last summer.”

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.”

A rush of disappointment filled Daniel at her words. No matter what he said, a part of him had held out the hope that she had called them here to bond with her. The tranquilizer the doc gave them helped, but no one knew how long it would continue to do so.

Sabrina handed each of them a bottle of beer, then returned to her seat with a bottle of her own. She tipped it up and took a long swallow before sitting the bottle on the table next to her elbow with a trembling hand. “That you wouldn’t force me to your will means everything to me.” She cleared her throat. “And it makes my decision just a little easier to bear.” She paused for a moment to look at each of them. “I can’t promise you anything.” Tears filled her eyes and she reached up to swipe them away. “I wish I could, but I can’t.” She glanced through the window to her right, staring out into the darkness for a minute. “I can only tell you I want to try.”

It was all Daniel could do to stay still. He was certain Luke had the same problem as his best friend sat forward in his seat.

“I can respect that.” Luke turned to him. “What about you?”

Hell yes, he could respect that.

* * * *

Sabrina’s stomach churned as she watched the two men who claimed to care about her. So far she had no reason to disbelieve them. They had been nothing but kind to her. Still, as she looked at them with their powerful physiques, she wondered if she could really go through with it.

Some strange masochistic part of her that she never knew existed, wanted to try. No one had ever made her feel the way these two men did. Not one male before them had ever stirred her blood and made her ache deep inside like she had every day since they met. Some days she thought she would go mad with the desire to be what they wanted. Taking a deep breath, Sabrina finally realized neither of them would ever make the first move. That was up to her.

“What is it you wanted with us?” Luke crossed his legs and rested his beer on the arm of the chair, his long fingers gripping it loosely.

Sabrina knew his air of nonchalance was deceptive. She’d seen it before—every time he went outside the cabin when she awoke with night terrors about her stay in that godforsaken camp. She never did figure out if he was angry that she woke him or really searching the woods that surrounded the cabin in search of the bad guys. It was hard to tell with someone as moody and closed mouthed as Luke. She rather hoped it was the latter though.

“Um…” Sabrina paused to clear her throat. Her face grew hot at the thought of what she planned to do—what she knew she must do. It wasn’t only the twins she had to worry about now. What of every child in the town? God only knew what those men wanted with two small boys, but whatever it was, she had a feeling it wasn’t good. Not if they were responsible for the death of the boys’ parents. “Has Samantha told you two what we need to do?” What we must do, like it or not…

They both nodded. “She has.” Luke answered for the both of them after he took another pull from his beer.

Standing, Sabrina rounded the couch, feeling better somehow with the large piece of furniture between them. How in the world could she go through with this if she couldn’t even bring herself to suggest it? Taking a deep breath, Sabrina readied herself to just blurt it out, but the words just wouldn’t come—not even for her precious little boys.

“We must mate.” Luke finally voiced what was so difficult for her to say.

Sabrina felt herself give a jerky nod. She didn’t remember consciously doing so. Didn’t she even have control over her own body anymore? It was as if someone else controlled her actions while she was little more than a bystander. Tears streamed down her face. Would she never live a normal life again? Would the past continue to haunt her for the rest of her life?

Daniel turned to look at her. “We can do this.” He paused, then added, “You can do this. You are much stronger than you think. Deep down inside, you know that if you never manage to lead a normal life, they have won. Those men will have managed to control you from a distance, perhaps even their graves.” He shook his head. “And I don’t think you want that.” He glanced at Luke, then back to her. “We don’t want that for you.”

“Will you allow us to try?” Luke slid from his seat to his knees.

“What—what do you mean let you try?” she stopped to lick her lips. She almost didn’t notice the flare of heat in Daniel’s gaze at her action, but it was there, just the same.

“Will you allow us to seduce you? Can you give us the chance to prove that making love can be a beautiful, pleasurable experience?”

“What if…” she swallowed around the thick lump in her throat and waved her arm. “What if that heat thing makes you both crazy?” What if they couldn’t stop themselves from taking her by force? She couldn’t bear it, not again and especially not from the two men she had grown to care so much about.

“Then you merely need to scream. There are guards outside who will come to your aid against us.” Luke looked over at Daniel. “It is what we both would want.”

Daniel nodded. “It is.” He held his hands out to his sides. “There is little to fear and so much to gain. Will you try?”

“First,” Luke said as he stood and handed her the bottle of beer she’d gotten for herself. “Drink this. It may help you relax a bit.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’m going to need that. If I need it later, maybe I’ll drink some more, but right now, I want to try this without the false courage.”

* * * *

Would she truly give them a chance? Did their mate have enough courage to try? Luke thought she did—hoped she did. He watched as she stepped forward, gripped the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. Her knuckles lightened to a soft caramel as she held the fabric tight.

“We have to do this.” She opened her eyes, her expression filled with trepidation and no little amount of dread.

“Perhaps…” Luke moved closer and took one last pull on his beer. He set the empty bottle on the end table and smiled. He had to let her know they didn’t intend to pressure her, to force her into something she wasn’t ready for. “But we don’t have to do it tonight.”

“Luke is right. The injections have bought us some time.” What Daniel didn’t say was they had no idea how much time.

Luke thought it best to follow his friend’s lead.

“We’ll go and give you some time to come to grips with the idea.” Daniel stood and joined Luke as they moved toward the front door.

Though they both wanted nothing more than to complete their bond, Luke knew neither of them wanted to rush Sabrina. She had been through too much to force such a decision on her so soon.

“I thank you both for that.”

She smiled softly, her expression filled with something Luke hoped, even prayed, was close to love.

They both turned to leave, prepared to spend another night with an aching groin and the emotional need to complete the bond with their mate. Another day, week or month didn’t matter. None of it mattered as long as Sabrina wasn’t pressured or hurt. At the moment, Luke was certain he could wait another lifetime for Sabrina to feel safe in their presence.

* * * *

Sabrina couldn’t help but smile. The time had finally come. When these two powerful men could put her needs, her well-being above their own, even knowing the consequences, it was time she trusted them. And she did. Her eyes widened at the thought. The realization came as something of a shock.

“All the time we spent in the cabin your first thought was for me or the children. Keeping us fed, warm, and safe seemed like your first priority.” She smiled again as she recalled the bittersweet memory of their time on the mountain. “I never wanted a relationship with a man, any man, let alone two.”

She moved out from behind the sofa. “Yet, here we are. Circumstances and fate have thrust us together. It seems our destinies are entwined, like it or not.” Taking a deep breath, Sabrina gathered her courage, grabbed the hem of her blouse and yanked it over her head. She stood in front of them, naked from the waist up. She held her back straight, her shoulders back and kept her chin held high. These two men were the first, the only, men she would ever willingly submit to. The cool air on her breasts caused her nipples to pebble. They tightened even more as her mates stared at them with rapt expressions.

“You’re absolutely sure this is what you want?” Luke swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his neck. He stood very still, his hands fisted at his sides.

“It is.” Sabrina nodded, then smiled as she watched the two men she had grown to love more than life itself. “The fact that you can ask me that while I stand here like this, knowing what my refusal will cost you is enough to prove I have made the right decision.” Gooseflesh rose on her skin as their expressions changed and they moved slowly closer. Their movements were so slight, such an economy of movement, it was almost a mixture of stalking her and awe that she chose them.

Heat pooled low in her middle. Her stomach flip-flopped as they continued their steady approach. Standing in front of them with her shirt lying at her feet was sort of freeing. No one could ever take this night, this moment from her. There was no doubt in Sabrina’s mind that her mates would see to her pleasure—to the needs she felt building over the last several months. Her nipples tightened to diamond-hard peaks at the anticipation of their touch. The distaste she thought she would feel had been replaced by love, want and need for the two men who would sacrifice their own sanity to protect her.

Samantha had suggested that her first time be a one-on-one. That she should move slowly through this new facet of their relationship. No. She wanted them both tonight. Only her mates could erase the horrors she endured in that hellish compound last summer.

She had two loving mates and she would have them both this night. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, attempt to choose between them. Together, they would all overcome the demons that kept them apart.

* * * *

Daniel swallowed thickly as he stared at Sabrina’s bare breasts. Never would he have believed she would come to them and offer herself up to them so freely. She stood before them, her shoulders back, chin up. Her perfect breasts jutted forward, their dark nipples practically begging for his mouth. As she stood so tall and proud, she reminded him of a goddess—a beautiful Nubian princess. Her very pose practically screamed, I dare you to judge me and find me lacking. How did one dare to judge perfection? Sabrina Hart was perfect in every way and no matter what, would always be so.

He fell to his knees in front of her. He would have kissed her feet had they been bare. Instead, he kissed her ankles beneath the sweatpants she wore. He never thought of sweats as sexy before today, but even the thick cotton fleece couldn’t cover the perfect curve of her behind and her nipped in waist. The pants merely enhanced her figure, hid it from view, making him want to tear the clothing from her to see what she had hidden beneath.

Reaching up, Daniel cupped her breast, feathering his thumb over the dark, hardened tip. His mouth watered at the thought of taking her, tasting her, as he watched Luke lean forward and take the other tight peak into his mouth.

His cock was so hard it threatened to burst through his jeans when Sabrina closed her eyes, threw her head back and moaned. She wrapped her arms around Luke’s head, drawing him closer.

Standing, Daniel could wait no longer. Leaning down, he flicked the tight little bud with his tongue before drawing it fully into his mouth.

Sabrina’s knees buckled at the contact and he caught her up in his arms, ready to carry her to the bedroom, but he knew he must ask again. She must know exactly what she was doing, what she was agreeing to before they mated her. He and Luke pulled their mouths away at the same time. He watched as their saliva glistened on her flesh. Her nipples grew even tighter as he blew across the moist surface.

“You must be certain this is what you want, love.” The words came out harsh, almost a growl. His other half attempted to keep him from voicing the words he knew must be spoken. “If we do this, you’ll be like us, like your sister. You’ll shift shape. You will never be completely human ever again.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a sultry look. It was an expression he never thought to see on his mate’s face.

“According to Samantha and our grandmother’s journals I’ve never been completely human anyway. It’s not like I’m losing anything.” She glanced at Luke, then smiled. “In fact, the way I see it, I’m gaining a whole lot more than I could ever lose.” She pointed to her left and the stairs. “The bedroom is that way.”

Daniel carried her up the flight of stairs and into the bedroom. Luke pulled the covers back and he laid her down on the cool, crisp sheets. Straightening, he tore off his clothes, part of him afraid she would change her mind, another part hoping she would. He didn’t want to lose control and hurt her.

Sabrina’s eyes grew wider and wider as she watched them both undress. Her gaze shot back and forth between them as they removed their clothes. She looked nervous when they finally stood before her, naked. Then she jumped when he reached for her waist to remove her pants.

He couldn’t wait to get her naked and beneath him, but he knew that after everything she’d been through, they would have to take things slowly. The two of them would have to arouse her to the point of begging for it. He grinned. Slow he could handle. This night, he and Luke would worship their mate’s body in a way she never thought possible.

* * * *

Sabrina sucked in a deep breath. What had she gotten herself into? She stared at them as they stood before her, wearing nothing but their smiles. These two men were intimidating and alpha enough dressed. Naked, they were downright too much to deal with.

She stared at them both. They both had larger packages than any one man she’d ever seen before. If sex hurt before, how would it feel with these two men as large as they were?

“Don’t look at our size, baby,” Luke said as he leaned closer. “Feel how we arouse you.” His hand cupped her mound, his fingers delving deep into her wet folds.

“Oh. My. God.” Sabrina panted as they continued to stroke her flesh. Not once had anyone ever brought her so close to coming. Never had anyone cared to see to her pleasure, until these two men waltzed into her life and practically took it over.

“We don’t want to shock you, baby, but have you ever had anyone take your ass?”

The questions brought back memories she was sure should hurt, should send her reeling away from them. Yet, the way they kissed her, caressed her, with Daniel nuzzling one side of her neck while Luke suckled the other, kept her off balance enough to just nod and answer with a breathless voice. “At…at the compound.”

“Shh, baby. You aren’t there any longer. You’re here with us and we worship the very ground you walk upon. Surely you know that?”

Daniel’s confession startled her a bit. She had no idea. She knew they wanted her, but she never thought to hear any man admit that he worshipped a woman for anything other than her body and the pleasure she could give him.

“Stop thinking. You think too much,” Luke whispered in her ear, just before he licked the sensitive shell.

“I’m going insane. You two are driving me crazy.” And they were. No one should be able to do what they did to her. No one should be able to arouse her so much she could barely remember her own name, let alone why she succumbed to them in the first place. She had to keep things in perspective. She was doing this for the children, not herself.

When Luke’s fingers delved deep into her folds, his fingers circling her clit, she gave herself up to them. Who in the hell was she trying to kid? She wasn’t here only because of the boys. She was here with these two men because she’d fallen head over heels in love with them. Nothing else could make her surrender to them the way she had, not even the children.

Luke continued to strum her clit with his experienced fingers while Daniel paid homage to her breasts. She felt her body grow tighter by the minute as her orgasm built. She felt it coming, knew the signs from the past and the releases she’d managed to give herself before. She stiffened, her body arcing as the dam broke and she screamed through her release. Nothing she ever managed to do for herself had ever prepared her for the intense sensation that tore through her as Luke continued to massage her clit while Daniel suckled and toyed with her erect nipples.

* * * *

Luke felt a surge of male pride when Sabrina finally fell apart in his arms. He continued to stroke her, bringing her down gently. He could tell by her reaction that she had never come like that before. If he wasn’t mistaken, this was the first orgasm she’d ever had that she hadn’t given herself.

His cock brushed against her thigh, a drop of clear fluid oozing from the tip. This is what they were meant for. This is what he had waited all these years for. Nothing could keep him from her after this night. After this night, she would belong to him—to both of them.

“Please,” she whimpered when he moved away to lie back on the bed.

She obviously thought he meant to leave her empty, wanting. He had no intention of doing such a thing. He felt it an abomination to even think of it. No, she was his and Daniel’s this night. She belonged to them just as surely as they belonged to her, in her.

Reaching out, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. She straddled him, her sex pressing against his cock, her wet folds enveloping him in their warmth as she pressed against the hard shaft.

“The rest is up to you, baby.” He knew his voice sounded harsh. He couldn’t help it. Just the thought of her warm, wet sheathe closing over him had his cock pulsing with need. “If you want us both, you merely have to rise up and impale yourself. I will not force you, Daniel will not force you. Once you have made your choice, Daniel will slowly enter your ass. If you want either of us to stop, you merely have to tell us. We will stop if it kills us.”

The trust on her face, in her eyes, humbled him. He didn’t know what to say. For the first time since he met her, he was speechless. It was amazing how this one slip of a woman could bring him and Daniel to their knees as she had.

Placing her hands on the center of his chest, Sabrina rose up, then lowered herself over him, taking his cock deep into her wet channel. He closed his eyes, clenching his teeth together as he fought the urge to thrust himself deep. She had to do this. It was important. She needed to feel she had some power over them. To know that, at least in some things, she would call the shots. This moment was one of them.

He fisted his hands in the sheets, barely able to control the need to grab her by the hips and drive himself into her. His beast wanted him to take her, to claim her. He panted and barely managed to keep himself still while she slowly impaled herself on his cock.

When she had seated herself fully onto him, he opened his eyes. The look of trust and wonder on her face was worth the effort to hold himself still. Bringing her pleasure, no matter the cost to him, was worth everything. He would give anything to take the shadows in her eyes, in her soul, away.

“Are you ready for Daniel?” He had to ask. They didn’t want to frighten her, they didn’t want to cause her any distress. They merely wanted to love her—to make love to her.

Sabrina looked down at him, her eyes filled with trust, her full lips smiling softly. “I think so.” She leaned down to press her lips against his.

Cupping the back of her head, he took control of their kiss. Thrusting his tongue into her mouth, he moaned at her exquisite taste, at the feel of her tongue tangled with his.

She groaned into his mouth as he held her against his chest. Daniel waited, poised at her rear, his gaze caressing her back and buttocks. This was it. She had opened herself up to both of them. Now was their chance, the opportunity they had prayed for. This night they would finally make her theirs.

* * * *

Daniel gazed down at the slim form of his mate draped over Luke’s larger torso. She straddled Luke’s hips, the other man’s cock crammed up her tight pussy. His gut clenched at the sight. They had shared a few women over the last year, but none of them ever mattered. Sabrina mattered. She was their mate—their life.

Reaching down, he caressed the soft skin of her hips. Reverently, he traced her slight curves. Curves he knew from photos he’d seen that would grow more prominent as she regained the weight she lost. He couldn’t wait to see her like that once again. He moved his hands lower to cup her ass. His cock pulsed, throbbed at the thought that soon he would bury himself balls deep into her tight ass. At least he hoped he would.

He grabbed the tube of lubricant he tossed on the bed before he removed his pants. He’d taken to carrying it, on the off chance that she would allow them to mate her. He didn’t want to have to go searching for lubricant and give her a chance to change her mind.

By the looks of it, changing her mind was the furthest from her thoughts as she kissed Luke. She lay over his friend, her ass in the air as she sat impaled on the other man’s cock. Juices leaked from her channel as they lay waiting for him to join them.

He poured a generous amount of lubricant on Sabrina’s back hole and worked it in. Daniel worked first one finger, then two into her tight hole, thrusting and using a scissor motion to prepare her for his invasion. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her.

When he was certain he had prepared her as well as he could, he moved closer, his hips directly behind hers. Reaching down, he took his cock in his hand and placed it against her.

“Are you ready?” He prayed she was. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. Both he and Luke needed their shots in less than ten minutes. Had either of them realized what she had intended, they would have waited to answer her summons.

Sabrina pulled her lips from Luke’s kiss. “Yes. I’m ready. Please, Daniel. Show me what it’s like to belong. To truly belong.”

Leaning down, he kissed the small of her back, reveling in the softness of her mahogany skin. “You have always belonged to us. We are together now and soon nothing will ever separate us.”

As slowly as he could, he began to insert his cock into her anus. Gods, she’s tight. He suppressed a groan as he shared his thoughts with Luke.

Yes, she is and getting tighter by the moment.” Luke met his gaze, his expression tortured as he waited for Daniel to seat himself fully in their mate’s ass.

“Bear down a bit, baby, and this will be a bit easier.” He groaned when she did as he told and his cock pressed deeper. “Just an inch or two more and I’ll be there.” Daniel panted as he continued to press deeper until his pelvic bone rested against her ass. He leaned down to kiss her back. “Are you okay? How do you feel? Are we hurting you?”

Taking a deep breath, she paused before saying, “I feel so full, but it doesn’t hurt.” She made a face. “But it doesn’t really feel good either.”

“It will, baby. It will.” Luke chuckled beneath her. “This is just the beginning. Are you ready for us to move?”

“I…I think so.” She paused. “I hope so.”

“Me, too, baby,” Daniel added as he began to withdraw. “We’re going to move now. What we want you to do is, sit back and enjoy the ride.”

They began slowly, moving in alternate strokes. He could feel the arousing sensation of Luke’s cock rubbing his through the thin membrane as they continued to slide in and out of Sabrina’s body.

Gods, he’d never expected it to feel like this. To feel so right as he took his mate. He never expected his heart to open up and tie him to both Sabrina and Luke as they continued to move together, but it had. He looked at Luke, their gazes met and the other man smiled. He, too, felt the bond. It had always been there to an extent, but this was stronger.

“You agree to mate us?” Sweat poured down his face as he asked the question. He hoped he already knew the answer, but she had to have the choice. This was something he knew neither of them should force upon her. “Knowing what we are, do you accept us?”

Sabrina nodded, then gasped as Luke thrust deep inside her once more. “Yes. Please, yes. I want you. I-I love you.”

Daniel’s heart soared at her admission. He felt Luke’s do the same through their bond. This was it. It was time. They both had waited months to hear her say those words, to feel her body’s welcome. Tonight they would finally make her theirs.

* * * *

Sabrina twisted and writhed between them, alternately meeting each thrust as they both held her by the hips. She couldn’t seem to get enough. Her mind spun, filled with pleasure as their continued thrusts bombarded her with sensation.

The touch of her mates reduced her to a pure, sensual being with no thought beyond the pleasure of their touch. Her low moans turned to whimpers as they continued to shaft in and out of her body. She needed release almost as much as she needed to draw breath. She even considered begging for it when Daniel finally reached around her, his fingers delving between their sweat soaked bodies and into her wet folds. When his fingers brushed her clit, she was lost as the erotic sensation washed over her.

Sabrina’s body stiffened, her back arched and, for a moment, she thought she may die from the pleasure. Throwing her head back, she screamed as they both found a spot on one of her shoulders and bit down.

Pleasure beyond anything she thought possible consumed her as they continued their measured thrusts, their movements beginning to change, becoming choppy and irregular. They were close to their own climax. She could feel it.

When Luke pulled his mouth from the crook of her shoulder, he brought his hand to his mouth and bit down on his finger. “Just a taste, love. You don’t have to drink it. A drop on your tongue is enough.” Reaching up, he brushed a drop of blood over her closed lips, then Daniel reached around and did the same. Their movements had slowed, became steady and measured as they alternately buried their shafts deep inside her once again.

After Sabrina licked the droplets of blood from her lips, she leaned down and pressed her mouth to Luke’s. They were bound now. Mates. And this had never seemed more right. When the men began to increase their tempo once again, Sabrina let out a long, low moan. If they didn’t come this time, they may just kill her. She smiled. But she would die happy.

“Gods, you’re so tight, baby,” Daniel gasped behind her. “I can’t hold out much longer. Come for us again, sweetheart. Come…now!”

Sabrina threw her head back, squeezed her eyes shut and screamed as she complied. Nothing could have prepared her for this. She couldn’t even come close to describing the pleasure her mates gave her. The two men came when she did. She felt every muscle in her body tighten when she came. Her muscles tensed, clamped down on her mates as she milked the seed from their cocks.

* * * *

It was all Daniel could do to keep himself from collapsing on both of his mates. Determined not to hurt either of them, he forced himself to the side as he fell. He was exhausted. His body felt boneless as he lay on his side, every muscle quivering, his breathing labored, as he watched Luke and Sabrina before him. Neither of them moved. If they felt even half as sated as he, he could understand why they just lay there, panting.

Luke raised a shaking hand to stroke Sabrina’s hair. “Are you alright, baby?” His voice was soft, his words slurred with exhaustion.

Sabrina’s head moved a bit, her dark hair soaked with perspiration. “Mmm hmm…” It seemed as though it was too much of an effort for her to speak.

Daniel met Luke’s gaze and they grinned at each other. “I think we have a mate.”

Sabrina’s brows turned down in a scowl, though she kept her eyes closed. “Stop calling me your mate. I have a name, white boy, use it.” She licked her lips, then smiled softly. “Every time you refer to me as mate, I’m calling you white boy.” She patted Luke’s shoulder. “That goes for you, too. Now let me get some sleep.” Sabrina punctuated her last comment with a soft snore.

“Gods, Luke, we’re the luckiest men in the fuckin’ world.”

“I know, my friend. Believe me. I know.”

* * * *

It took almost three days for Sabrina and Samantha to ready themselves for the mating ritual and the protection spell. She shook her head. It was hard to believe that there were two mating rituals for the two different races…species …whatever.

They spent three long days of gathering herbs from the locals, readying their homes and bedrooms. What took the longest was memorizing everything they must do. There could be no mistakes.

“Are you sure we don’t have to say much?” It just didn’t seem right that there was no verbal spell to speak of.

“I checked it over and over,” Sabrina said with a shrug. “We speak only the vows. The rest is visualization.”

“I still don’t see how visualizing glowing red eyes beyond an invisible wall will keep them out. None of them had glowing eyes.”

“We have to try, Rina.” Samantha sighed. “Those glowing eyes represent them. Perhaps it’s because they’re evil or something.” Samantha smiled and rubbed her hands together. “The part I like is where Grandmama wrote if we do it right, the barrier will suck information from anyone of them who attempts to breach it.”

“I want to believe that things will work out that way. I really do.” Sabrina sighed and moved to the window to stare out at the setting sun. Darkness would follow quickly now. Night came fast in these mountains.

“I hear a but in there.” Samantha moved up beside her.

“I can’t help it.” Sabrina lifted one shoulder in a shrug and moved back to the table and her seat. Sitting down, she grasped her cup of cleansing tea and took a sip. She welcomed the hot liquid’s slight burn. It helped her keep things in perspective. “It’s just that…” She looked away from her sister’s knowing gaze and gestured with her right hand. Her cheeks warmed as she thought about her mates. “Everything is so perfect.” She ducked her head to stare down into her cup. “Nothing in my life has ever been perfect. You, better than anyone, know that.”

“I know nothing of the sort!” Sam fisted her hands on her hips and scowled. “I know you are perfect. You always have been. Why do you think the guys were always falling all over you in school?”

Sabrina snorted. “I know you can’t be that naïve, Sam. They all wanted a piece of ass.”

“No, uh uh. I know you didn’t just go there.” Her sister’s brows turned down and her head bobbed back in forth with agitation as she pointed at her. “If that’s the truth, they would have been after all of the girls, not just you, sister.” She canted her head. “As I recall, you had five guys ask you to the senior prom. I was lucky to get one guy and I asked him!”

“That’s beside the point.” Sabrina threw up her arm and waved her sister’s protest away. “You know as well as I do that trouble follows me like some sort of lost puppy. And—”

“Us,” Samantha interrupted. “Trouble seems to follow us.”

“Whatever.” Sabrina pushed her cup away. “My point is, what’s to stop us from screwing this up?” What was to keep the men she’d fallen so head over heels in love with from leaving her and breaking her heart? She didn’t know if she could handle it.

Sabrina was worried. Nothing had ever been more important than the ritual they planned for this night. If they managed to do everything right, and it was a big if, the first time one of those…men tested it and tried to enter Paradise, they would reveal where the boys were. She needed this to work. She needed that information more than she needed to draw breath. Those boys belonged with her. They were her sons in every way except blood.

The outside door opened and six men entered the room. The kitchen that had seemed almost huge a few minutes ago now seemed like a small closet with the large men looming over her.

Samantha’s mates hurried over to her, not even bothering to hide their relief at being by her side again. Luke and Daniel did much the same. They both pressed a brief kiss to her lips, then took a place on either side of her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Man, the room had suddenly gotten rather claustrophobic.

Sabrina didn’t know if she would ever get used to their doting ways. Then again, she probably didn’t want to get used to it. It was rather sweet, though it was also rather annoying at times.

Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?

Luke cleared his throat. “Ladies, allow me to introduce Ian and Duncan MacAllister.” He smiled at the two men and gestured them forward. “They’re distant cousins of mine from Scotland.”

They must grow them tall in Scotland. Sabrina couldn’t help the thought as the two men stepped forward. Both of them were over six-foot-six. They towered over her, their dark hair around their shoulders, their eyes twinkling with mirth. They both looked as though they knew some hilarious joke and refused to share it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ladies,” they said in unison, their accents soft. “We’ve come tae help ye with your wee problem.” The taller of the two said as he held out his hand. “I’m Duncan, by the way.”

He kept his dark hair short and his twinkling gray-green eyes seemed to invite her to share some sort of private joke. Broad shoulders spoke of great strength while his engaging smile said he was a gentle man, like her mates.

Sabrina cringed inside as she held her hand out to the large man. Normally, every alarm bell in her system screeched when a man stepped near, but not this time. Still, making contact with any man other than her mates was still difficult.

“Thank you for coming, but…” she stopped herself before she insulted them by asking what they thought they could do that the others couldn’t. That was just rude and they had come a long way.

The two men laughed and Duncan leaned forward as though about to impart a secret. “We have many talents, lass.”

She had no doubts that they thought so. All men thought they were God’s gift to something or other.

Duncan laughed again and released her hand. It was a measure of her discomfort that she hadn’t realized he still held it. “Ye see, lass, we can read people’s minds when we touch them.”

Sabrina felt the blood drain from her face and she stumbled back. She almost fell, would have in fact, if Luke hadn’t caught her. She surreptitiously wiped her still warm hand on her pants leg.

Ian stepped forward. “We also have a knack for finding things that others have lost.” He paused to glance at Luke who gave him a slight nod. “Children who mean something to you are missing?”

“All children mean something to me, Mr. MacAllister.” Reaching up, she pushed her hair back from her face. “The two boys we’re talking about just happen to mean a bit more to me.” She swallowed thickly as tears clogged her throat. “They’re like my own.”

“Then we’ll be sure tae do our best tae find them, lass.” The two Scots nodded to Samantha and her mates. “We can find our way back to the lodge. There’s no need tae trouble yourselves.” With that, the MacAllister men turned and strode through the still-open door.

Samantha checked her watch. “We need to go. Now. We only have a few minutes to take care of our final preparations.” She held up her hand, watch face out. “Everyone set your time. We have to be as close with our visualization as possible.”

Fifteen minutes later, Sabrina stood before her mates, the ritual words spilling from her lips to bind them together. “My life is your life as yours is mine. Together we become one in a universe filled with possibility.” She took each of their hands in hers and tried not to think about her sister doing this very thing just a few houses away. Talk about TMI. “When our bodies exchange life force we shall become one—with each other and with the universe itself. As I say it, so shall it be.” If they were all of the same species, the men would have spoken the vows, too. But according to her grandmother’s journal, her people could just take what they wanted. The good asked for acceptance, the bad merely spoke the vows to their mates and bound their souls to them whether they wanted it or not.

After Sabrina spoke the words, she moved between her mates and pulled them closer. Reaching up, she snaked her arms around Luke’s neck and pulled him close for a kiss. As she’d come to expect, Luke immediately took control of their kiss. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and explored every dark recess, leaving no place untouched.

Daniel moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her to cup her breasts and pluck at her nipples.

The sound of Sabrina’s heartbeat pounded in her ears. She could practically hear her blood as it rushed through her veins. Heat pooled in her womb as one of Daniel’s hands moved lower to cup her sex.

Releasing Luke, she parted the silky robe she wore and pushed it from her shoulders. She’d come a long way from the frightened girl she’d been before. In the days since their first coupling, neither of the men ever removed her clothing for her unless she started it. They would one day when all of her wounds had healed, but for now, they always awaited her lead, determined to only take as much as she was willing to give.

The robe fell to the floor between them in a puddle of sky blue silk. Sabrina stood between them, fully naked, her shoulders back and her chin up. If they’d taught her one thing in the last few days, it was that they found her beautiful and she had no reason to fear exposing her body to them.

Whatever happened this night, however the ritual changed them, she knew they all belonged together. Her mates were two of the most gentle and brave men she had ever met. Even knowing that truly mating with her in the way of her people would change them in ways unknown hadn’t deterred them from their resolve to become her mates in every way possible. Even her sister didn’t know what would happen. Their mates’ willingness to go where they led only served to prove they were all meant for each other.

Tilting her head slightly without breaking their kiss, Sabrina checked her watch. She hated that she had to hold part of herself back so she could watch the time. She tightened her arms around Luke’s neck and pulled her mouth from his to stare deep into his eyes. “It’s time.” Licking her lips, she tightened her grip and wrapped her legs around his waist.

The two men wished their clothing away and Sabrina grinned. That was a neat trick to have up your sleeve. She hoped that power was one that they’d keep once this was all over.

“You are going to teach me how to do that.” Mainly she wanted to learn how they dressed themselves in the same manner. There were a few designer outfits and shoes she wanted to copy.

Her two men just chuckled as they moved in. They, too, knew time was of the essence and there was precious little of it to waste. Luke gripped her hips and lifted her up over his already hard shaft. Sabrina gasped when he lowered her down onto it. It scraped every sensitive nerve ending in her sex as he continued to lower her onto his cock. She felt so full, she was near to bursting. He surprised her by carrying her over to the bed and lying on his back. She thought they would do this standing up. Since it was the first time either of them deviated from what she expected, Sabrina rejoiced. Finally, they had seen she wasn’t as fragile as she had once been. On the contrary, with these men, she felt stronger than she ever had before in her life.

Daniel moved closer, his hard shaft near her face. A drop of clear fluid leaked from the tip as he grasped the base in his large hand.

Sabrina’s mouth watered with the desire, the need, to taste him. She never thought to feel this way…ever. Yet, with Luke buried balls deep in her sex and Daniel standing nude before her like some sort of sex god, she found that she needed the feel and taste of his cock in her mouth.

“Suck Daniel’s cock,” Luke said as he pulled from her channel. Every inner muscle clenched and contracted in an effort to hold him deep inside her.

Leaning down, he drew an erect nipple into his mouth and rolled it around on his tongue like a piece of candy.

Daniel moved closer. “You don’t have to, baby.”

Sabrina felt his need to have her mouth wrapped around his hard shaft. She also felt his determination to not force her to do something she wasn’t ready to do.

* * * *

Daniel looked down at his woman, their woman. Gods, she was so beautiful. Her dark skin glowed with health and, he hoped, happiness as she lay on the bed, impaled by Luke’s cock. One day, he would thank the Gods they all revered for their gift. And she was a gift beyond measure.

He stood before her, stroking his shaft, moving steadily closer. Neither of them had asked her to do this before. He hoped she didn’t hate him for it, but he couldn’t get the thought of her magnificent mouth wrapped around his cock out of his mind.

His knees went weak when she gave him a soft smile. He almost cried out at the first stroke of her perfect tongue as she licked the drop of semen off the head, the tip of her tongue delving into the slit as though to get more. When she took him fully into her mouth, he almost collapsed. Throwing his head back, he groaned and fisted his hands at his sides. He wanted nothing more than to grab onto her head and drive himself deep into her hot, waiting mouth.

Gods, she looked so damned sexy. She lay propped up on pillows, her knees to her chest as Luke drove his cock deep into her tight channel. Her breasts bounced with each powerful thrust. She kept her eyes open, filled with love and trust as he and Luke continued to love her, to mate her once more. She was theirs and they, just as surely, belonged to her. Every thrust, every swipe of her tongue on the sensitive head of his cock brought them all closer to release.

Finally, when Sabrina started to moan, the vibrations sent him over the edge and, sharing the mind link, he took his mates with him. Daniel pulled his cock from Sabrina’s mouth just in time. He came, his seed spurting in thick ropes onto her breasts. He hadn’t wanted to come in her mouth. He feared choking her.

He watched as Luke continued to pound into her as his orgasm washed over him. Light filled the room, emanating from Sabrina as she came. It shot from the tips of her hair, eyelashes, fingers and toes. When she threw her head back and screamed, a large beam of light shot toward the ceiling from her mouth. The light passed through them all. It caressed their skin and touched their minds like a living thing. The power overwhelmed him and brought him to his knees. He’d never felt anything like it before in his life.

* * * *

Sabrina looked out through the kitchen window. After three hours, the dome was still there. She and Samantha could see it, their mates could see it, but no one else even knew it was there.

“What makes you think they’ll come here? They have what they wanted.”

“Because they’ll want you. They won’t be able to help themselves. The pull, the lure, if you will, of a pure blood, will not leave them alone. Sooner or later, they will come here and when they do, we’ll have them. Just cross your fingers that it’s not more than twenty. Our wall couldn’t withstand the concerted efforts of even twenty-one of them.” Samantha sipped her tea. She had slight dark spots beneath her eyes, a sure sign that she’d been doing too much. Still, what price did you put on a child’s life?

The orb that surrounded the town shimmered in the darkness. The odd pearlescent shine seemed to move and waver as she watched. Suddenly, a bright light came from the Northeast and she knew, beyond a doubt that someone had just attempted to breach their shield.

She closed her eyes as she felt the other’s consternation at being thwarted. The protective dome kept him out, but held him in place. He couldn’t move, even though he struggled in earnest.

“It serves you right, you arrogant prick.” She rubbed her hands together and started toward the door as the others pushed away from the table.

“How can we feel that?” Luke ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s unsettling. Never in my life have I ever wanted to harm another the way I want to go pound this guy into the ground.”

“Close your mind. He’s connecting with you. He wants you to beat him to a bloody pulp. He knows it’s the only way he’ll ever get out of the restraints holding him.”

Luke shook his head. “Stay out of my head, dammit!”

A loud crack sounded in the distance and the man screamed.

“You don’t have to harm him, ladies. We need him for questioning.”

“No we don’t. We’ll soon know everything he does, but that doesn’t mean we’re the ones that just cracked his ass the other way,” Sabrina said with a giggle. “You did that.” She flexed her fingers. “Apparently, you guys also have our power. It’s strange, isn’t it?” It was strange. Never in her life had she thought herself as anything but human. Now she was something else. Some sort of real-life witch or sorceress.

The two sisters ran from the house and into the woods, their men hot on their heels. “We still need to bring the intruder to Ian and Duncan.” Luke was adamant that they not go alone.

“They are already on their way. It will take them a bit longer to reach the area since they’re on the other side of town though. Besides, what do we need them for?”

“Duncan can read minds, remember? And I don’t know about you, but the dome hasn’t told me anything about what’s in this guy’s mind. And we can’t trust a damn thing the newcomer says, even if we beat it out of him. It doesn’t matter what our intruder says. All that matters is what my cousins say.” Luke seemed so sure that his cousins would finish the job before they got there.

* * * *

“The boys are in a camp not far from here. They are guarded, but not well. It’s almost as though they wanted us to find them and take them.”

“No,” Sabrina said, her eyes filled with fear. “They’re here because they want to use the boys as bait to make a statement of some kind.”

Samantha shook her head. “No, it’s more complicated than that. What they thought to take wasn’t in Paradise so much as it’s a part of Paradise. It’s us. All of us and we’ve bound together into one powerful whole.”

They reached the areas where the man stood spread eagle, his back to the slightly curved dome.

“You won’t get me to talk. I won’t say a thing.” His eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.

“Now I know why we had to visualize the glowing eyes.” She elbowed Samantha who just glowered at her.

“You don’t have to tell us where the boys are, you worthless piece of shit.” Luke snarled as the man quivered. The vibrations from the dome kept him shaking. Either that or he was more frightened than his expression let on.

“He doesn’t have to,” Samantha said with a smile. “If this works the way it’s supposed to, he’ll tell us everything we need to know without opening his disgusting mouth.”

“Let me go,” he demanded as they continued their approach. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

Sabrina scowled. Not to be outdone, she snarled, “You don’t know who you are dealing with, you son-of-a-bitch.” Her fingers itched to slap his ugly face with his smug expression. She wanted so much to wrap them around his neck and squeeze the life out of him or until he agreed to talk. At the moment, both choices appealed to her…perhaps too much. She pressed her lips together, worried that she could be that bloodthirsty.

Don’t worry, love, it’s merely your maternal instinct needing to protect the cubs you’ve adopted.

She glanced back at Luke and smiled her thanks that he could think to comfort her. She thanked everything that was holy that her two men found her. They had quickly become her life. Now she only needed the twins to feel everything was complete.

The man wriggled helplessly against the power that held him. He turned his head and looked up. “You can’t keep me here forever. When this shimmer dome weakens, I’ll be ready.” He narrowed his eyes. “And then I’ll be gone.”

“You’ll be dead.” Luke stepped forward with a snarl. “If you haven’t told us what we need to know by the time this dome begins to weaken, I’ll personally disembowel you.” He grinned. “And like it.” He turned to Daniel who had just pulled his cell phone from his ear.

“Ian and Duncan are on their way.” He gave Luke a meaningful look. “They’ll get the information from him one way or another.”

Why wasn’t the shimmer dome working the way their grandmother’s journal described? Had they done something wrong?

The slight hum of the dome changed pitch almost constantly as it fought to take over and reveal the man’s secrets, but they still felt nothing from him.

After a moment, both women gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Daniel stared down at her, his face filled with concern. He wrapped his fingers tight around Sabrina’s upper arm in an obvious attempt to keep her from danger. Who knew what the strange man was capable of doing?

“He’s fighting it.” Samantha shook her head. “Something’s not right. He’s not what he seems.”

“What do you mean?” His glanced at the man in question. Blond hair stuck out from the stranger’s head as though he’d stuck a finger in a light socket. Sparks jumped and arced about him as he struggled for freedom.

Samantha reached out and placed a hand on Luke’s arm when he would have attacked the nearly helpless male. When both of her mates growled low in their throats at the contact, she snatched it back.

“He’s some sort of agent. He doesn’t really work for the men who took the boys.” She then turned to her mates who still wore angry expressions and scowled. “Get over it, white boys.” She rolled her eyes and gave her sister a wink. ““You’d think they’d realize I have my hands full with them. What would I need with my sister’s man?”

Quinn stepped up behind her and pulled her back against his chest. “It’s a purely animal reaction, love. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“What panties?” Samantha asked as she pressed back against her mate with a grin.

“TMI, guys.” Sabrina said, shaking her head. That was definitely too much information. Besides, we’re getting off track here. Turning back to face the dome, she eyed the trapped man as he continued to struggle. “Something is blocking the dome’s power. He’s been enhanced somehow.” She frowned. “It’s as though he has some sort of mental shielding.”

“Holy Shit.”

Sabrina turned at Aiden’s curse. He stood, his spine stiff, clenching his fists at his sides. “What?”

Fish stepped forward. “That’s one of the things we worked on before coming here.” He pressed his lips together. “I can’t tell you more. Hell, I’ve said too much already. It’s all classified information.”

* * * *

Luke held up his hand to stop the other man from saying more. The last thing any of them needed was to have Fish tell them more than he should, especially with a witness. The man held by the dome had grown silent, he sat still, watching them, an intense look on his face. “Don’t compromise yourself, brother. Ian and Duncan will be here soon. They can tell us what we need to know.” He waved toward the dome. “Just pull this asshole out of the vortex. They’ll be here soon.”

Quinn and Daniel moved to the dome and reached in. Since their sexual power helped make the dome, they were immune to its effects. They dragged the man from the wall of the dome and held him while the cousins approached.

“He’s had some help to resist the dome.”

Ian looked up at the shimmering cone of power. “How in the hell could he have even known about this?”

“It beats the hell out of me.” Quinn grunted when the man elbowed him in the stomach. We just learned of the thing ourselves. Apparently, he’s some sort of agent. The government has been studying this for years, according to Fish.”

Aiden nodded. “Five years ago, they locked us down and tested us. They wanted to know why we didn’t feel the heat and cold like the other soldiers did.” He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. “I can’t tell you anymore.” Releasing the stranger, he turned the man over to the two cousins, hurried back to Samantha and pulled her close.

The stranger nearly broke free when Ian and Duncan took hold of him. It wasn’t over until Ian grabbed his head, his palm resting against the back of the other man’s neck. He held on tight as his eyes glazed over.

“He works for a secret government organization called…” He frowned, squeezing his eyes shut in obvious pain. “He knows where the boys are. The men who took him are on the list of planned abductions.” He paused. “Oh, my goddess. So are we, but they can’t seem to find us. Every time they get close, the barriers send them running.” He opened his eyes and stepped back. “He’s one of us, yet not one of us.” He glanced over at the two sisters who stood clutching each other’s hands. “He’s also one of them. A mixture.” He paused and waved his hands toward Samantha and Sabrina’s mates. “Like you four have become…but not.”

What the hell was Ian talking about? He was nothing but shifter. Perhaps not totally pure, but who was these days? Every one of them had to breed with others over the years.

“Where are the boys?” Sabrina had latched onto that one comment and started toward the trio. Luke reached out and grabbed her. There was no way he would allow his mate to get near the intruder until they knew what he was about.

She attempted to pull free. “Let me go!” She slapped at his hands, frantically trying to escape and make her way to the man who could tell her where her sons of the heart were.

“Stop it, mate,” Daniel said with a growl as he took her by the shoulders in an unyielding grip and shook gently. “The cousins will find out and they will tell us.” He turned to the two Scots. “Won’t you?”

“Aye,” Duncan answered with a grin, his moss green eyes twinkling. “As a matter of fact, we already know.” He glanced toward their prisoner and cocked his head. “What do ye want tae do with this one?”

“Lock him up in the town jail with three round the clock guards,” Adam Greer said as he strode into the clearing. “No one threatens my people and gets away with it.”

* * * *

Two weeks later, a virtual army lurked in the darkness around a compound that resembled the one in Virginia that Sabrina and her sister escaped from nearly a year ago.

The two women huddled in the darkness with their mates. Sabrina refused to stay home and wait. Her sister, Samantha, refused to allow her to go on such a dangerous trek without her.

“We must succeed this time.” Sabrina wasn’t talking to anyone in particular. She merely stated a fact. Since their first raid, they had rescued six children between the age of five and eleven. At least twenty more of varying ages lived—no existed—in the camp.

“We have to get them out of here.” Tears flowed down Sabrina’s cheeks as she thought of their brutal training. “How can these…” She waved her arm toward the compound. “Men subject them to this? They’re only children.”

“By slaughtering the animals in front of them, they are desensitizing them to blood, gore and death.” Luke shook his head, his expression grim. “By allowing them to play with the cubs, kittens and puppies before they kill them, they teach them not to care about others. They can’t be hurt if they don’t allow themselves to become attached to anyone or anything.”

“But…that’s so cruel.” Sabrina wasn’t sure what made her feel worse, the senseless killing of baby animals or the fact that they forced these children to watch while they gutted them.

“It’s only a matter of time before they make the older ones fight. That way, they make sure they don’t even come to care for each other.”

“That’s just sick,” Samantha spat the words. She looked ready to jump and rush into the camp by herself.

“Wait, love,” Aiden whispered, his hand on her arm. “We’ll move in soon. We’re just waiting on our intel. We want to know how many we’re up against and where they are. The Alpha doesn’t like surprises.”

“Can we trust him?” Sabrina worried her bottom lip as she thought of the source of their information. Quietly, she shifted position. Her legs were starting to cramp.

Daniel chuckled into her mind. You’re so suspicious. He’s one of us now. He has no reason to lie now, love. He had no idea there were others of our kind. He only knew of those he bunked with during his training. According to the cousins, he only cooperated with the government testing facilities because he wanted to be near others like him.

But—

No buts, sweetheart. He can’t lie to them anymore than you can lie to us. They are his bond mates. He paused. Along with one other. They are all determined to find her. He grinned. And they will, with no small amount of luck.”

“It’s time,” Luke whispered. His link with the alpha and his men kept him informed without the need for a noisy radio. Sabrina could see how the ability to mind talk came in handy in battle.

As one, they all shifted into their beasts. Sabrina chuckled as her cat moved stealthily through the brush. She could only imagine the sight they all made moving in on the compound. She wondered what their prey would think when they got a glimpse of the shifters of Paradise. Most of the adults in town were here, ready to protect their loved ones, their town and their clan. Sixty shifters of different backgrounds and species moved steadily toward the camp, willing to work together toward one goal—freeing children from cruel captors.

Sabrina had one thought before the battle began… Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Here we come, assholes!

They moved as one, the shifters all crashing into the compound at once. Men ran and screamed as the animals pinned them in place. Some fought and died. Others decided they couldn’t fight that many shifters, especially when they found out their attempts to control them wouldn’t work.

“I can’t stop them, Harry!” One of the men gasped. He squeezed his eyes closed, obviously trying to take the ability to fight from the intruders.

Harry ran out with a shotgun and aimed it at Sabrina who had taken on a large liger form. Luke pounced before the man got his first shot off. He lay in a pool of his own blood after her mate ripped his throat out.

Sabrina turned and headed for the scent of the boys. She could smell them, though they weren’t in their hut where they should be at this time of night. The children were all huddled in a small hut with a woman who held the twins in her arms.

Snarling through the window, Sabrina used the bulk of her beast to knock the door off its hinges. The woman cowered in the corner with the children. She attempted to block Sabrina’s sight with her body. Even though she was frightened beyond belief, she was willing to try to protect her charges.

“You can’t have them.” She looked around her. “God help me keep these children from these beasts.” She looked up. “I don’t care what happens to me, just keep them safe. They don’t deserve this. They don’t deserve any of this.” She glared at Sabrina. “I know you can take them from me.” She stood and grabbed a nearby chair. “I know you can kill me, but God help me, I won’t let you have them without a fight.” She waved her arm. “They’ve been through enough. What these…men,” she spat the word, “have done to them is unspeakable. I won’t—I can’t—just stand by and watch you do the same.”

Sabrina looked at the woman and wanted to smile. She had no idea that she would find such a brave protector for the children here in this compound. Concentrating on the change, she stepped from the cottage and shifted back to her human self, with a nice pair of designer jeans, sneakers and an airy silk blouse before she moved back to the door.

“Brina!” Timmy and Tommy said at once as they ran to her.

She moved inside wishing she could close the door behind her. The battle still raged outside. People and shifters fought to the death while she found her children. “Who are you?” she asked the other woman. Now that she held her boys in her arms again, she took the time to really look at the stranger. Her shoulder length blonde hair could use a good washing and probably her body as well. She looked more like a street urchin than a protector of children. Still, she could hardly judge when the woman had been willing to stand up to an eight-hundred pound liger with only a broken chair for a weapon.

“I-I’m Paige Applewhite. I am…” she paused as tears filled her eyes. “I was a teacher in Michigan.”

“Was?”

“These people abducted me and forced me to stay here and care for the children. There are others like me here. Just as there are other children.”

“How long have you been here?” Sabrina felt her voice soften and realized this woman was just as much a victim as she had once been.

“I’ve been here for over four months. By now I’m sure I’ve lost my job, my home and everything I own.” She broke down. “I have nothing and nowhere to go.”She would have somewhere to go. Sabrina would see to it, just as soon as she introduced her to Duncan or Ian. She must be sure the woman wasn’t lying before she trusted her fully.

Sabrina glanced out the door just in time to see Daniel change from his beast to a human. He took three steps toward her and a blast of light struck him in the chest. Sabrina screamed as Luke ran to his aid only to suffer the same fate. Sabrina watched with horror as her mates fell to their knees before landing on their faces. Anger like she’d never felt before in her life filled her as she stood staring at the still forms of her mates. With barely a thought, she spun in a circle and shifted at the same time. This time, she was no cat or any other four-legged beast.

The woman behind her whimpered as she gathered the children close and backed away. “Don’t hurt the children.”

“I don’t intend to.” She waved her arm…or what used to be her arm. Now it looked strange. Different. It was longer and thinner than her arm. Not to mention the fact that it was several shades lighter. What the hell? “Go sit in the corner and keep the kids out of harm’s way.”

Paige merely nodded as she took the twins by the hand and pulled them away from the door.

Sabrina had to duck to exit the cabin. Whatever she was now, it was a lot taller than her usual self. Turning, she almost ducked away from the ball of energy someone shot her way.

The sound of explosions sounded all around her as the energy hit her and she absorbed it into her body. Whatever she was, they weren’t ready for her. She glanced to her right and saw another creature approach. Nearly eight feet tall, with light caramel skin and light brown hair, the female ran toward her.

“What the hell is this?” Samantha’s voice came from the tall creature who stood before her, her arms out to her sides. “And their energy shots don’t affect me.”

“Me either.” Sabrina glanced back to her mates. “But they took Luke and Daniel down.” She fought the urge to cry. She couldn’t lose it now. She had to go after the asshole who killed her mates.

“They won’t be down long. Aiden took a shot and was down for about two minutes. The others aren’t so lucky.” Samantha grinned. “But watch out when they get up. Quinn’s been trying to get shot. Aiden loves the side affect.”

“Side aff—” Sabrina stopped and stared as first Luke, then Daniel each pushed themselves to their feet. They each stared down at themselves as their bodies shifted and grew. “Hell, they were tall enough as humans.”

Beam after beam of energy hit them as they stood looking down at themselves.

“Grandmama’s book said once the mating ritual was complete, it would change their DNA and they would be just as pure in blood as we are.”

“But pure blood what?”

“Does it matter?” We’re really the only ones who can take these people out. The others have no defense against them.” Samantha grinned. “What I think is great is the fact that they have no defense against us.”

“Yeah, whatever we are.”

Sabrina followed Samantha through the camp, conjuring balls of light and sending them to incapacitate those who would harm them.

None of them had to hide. The more the energy slammed into them, the stronger and more aggressive they became.

When the last man was down and hogtied, they each went to sit on the hood of a car and stare down at their new forms.

Quinn walked up, his forehead bleeding and leaned against Samantha as she crooned over him and tended his wounds. “I never was able to find someone to shoot me, dammit.” He looked around at them all. “Am I going to be the odd man out, the only one who’s not invited to this new club of yours?”

“Oh, shut up, you whiner.” Aiden flicked his finger and a ball of light slammed Quinn in the chest, knocking him from his feet.

Samantha glared at him. “You could have let him heal first.”

Aiden grinned and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “You know as well as I do there would be no living with him if I hadn’t done that.” He looked down at himself. “This is cool, but I hope I can still shift into other shapes. I’ll miss them if not.” Suddenly, he shifted into a dragon.

Sabrina recalled that Samantha said it was his favorite beast.

When he shifted back into a human again, he merely raised his brow.

“Come on, guys. It’s time to go home and while I think you all look great, the kids are going to be scared shitless.”

Two weeks later…

Sabrina sat in her new home, reading another of her grandmother’s journals. Occasionally she glanced up, to peer out the window at the twins playing in the backyard. They started preschool in the morning and she couldn’t wait. She loved them to death, but the prospect of a little alone time appealed to her.

Glancing back down to the journal, her eyes widened. Twins? That didn’t make sense. She and Samantha weren’t twins. She read the passage again.

Every mated couple is blessed with twins at every birth. Don’t be surprised. You two shall have them as well. Your mother never allowed me to tell you this before because she didn’t want anyone to guess your origins. Yes, you are twins. Samantha is not the elder by one year, but by one minute. Live a full and happy life and enjoy your newfound power. You are not of this earth, but the people here have always called us fae.

“Oh. My. God!”

About the Author

Tianna Xander is an eclectic author of numerous paranormal, sci-fi, time travel romance erotica books. Gaining inspiration for her characters and dialogue through her family and her addiction to the internet, she never fails to amaze readers with each new book she creates. As a reading junkie herself, Tianna has no problem reading whatever is available at the moment from romance novels, murder mysteries and encyclopedias to books on solar energy.

Tianna’s life wouldn’t be complete without a happily ever after of her very own. She resides in Michigan with her husband, two children, three cats, two dogs and an intimidating bunny. Never one to fail to give credit where it’s due, she commends her family for their constant support. After writing many books and receiving rave reviews, her family is just as proud of her. Always full of ideas, Tianna rarely puts the pen down, so readers can look forward to many more exciting stories in the future.

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